THE FRESH- WATER LOCHS OF SCOTLAND. 231 



14 feet was recorded towards the eastern shore. The volume of water 

 is estimated at 32 million cubic feet, and the mean depth at 7 feet, or 

 half the maximum depth. The loch is quite simple in conformation, 

 but the deeper water is confined to the central and north-eastern parts 

 of the loch, approaching very close to the eastern shore, off which the 

 slope is steep. The area of the lake-floor covered by less than 10 feet 

 of water is about 78 acres, or 73 per cent, of the total area. The 

 temperature of the surface water at 9 a.m. on August 15, 1902, was 

 57-2 Fahr. 



Loch an Drainc (see Plate L.). Loch an Drainc (or an Druing) lies 

 to the north-west of Loch Sguod, and flows through Loch nan Eun 

 (which was not sounded) and the Abhuinn Leumnach into The Minch, 

 about 2J miles to the west of the entrance to Loch Ewe. The ground 

 around the loch is mostly covered with peat, and to the east are low 

 but -steep knolls 200 to 300 feet in height, dotted over with small and 

 beautiful lochs, while to the west and south there is a fairly steep 

 ascent to Maol Breac, An Cuaidh, and Bac an Lethchoin (over 900 

 feet), the sides of which are well wooded. It was surveyed on August 

 16, 1902, but the elevation above the sea could not be determined; 

 the water may rise 2 to 3 feet above its level on this date. Loch an 

 Drainc trends north-north-west and south-south-east, and is nearly 

 three-quarters of a mile in length, with a maximum breadth of over 

 one-third of a mile, the mean breadth being nearly a quarter of a mile. 

 Its waters cover an area of about 96 acres, and it drains an area 22 

 times greater, or nearly 3J square miles. The maximum depth of 55 

 feet is approximately centrally placed, but nearer the western than the 

 eastern shore. The volume of water is estimated at 108 million cubic 

 feet, and the mean depth at 26 feet, or nearly half the maximum 

 depth. The loch forms a simple basin, and, considering its area, is 

 comparatively deep, the 25-feet area being over half a mile, and the 

 50-feet area one-fifth of a mile, in length. The areas between the 

 consecutive contour-lines, and the percentages to the total area, are 

 as follows : 



to 25 feet 47 acres 48 '9 per cent, 



25,, 50 45 47-2 



Over 50 , 4 , 3'9 



96 , 100-0 



Temperatures taken at 3 p.m. on August 16, 1902, gave 59 0> at 

 the surface, and 58*0 at a depth of 40 feet. 



Deposits. The deposits from certain parts of Loch an Drainc, as 

 well as of Loch Sguod, were of a strikingly pink colour, and a sample 

 from a depth of 20 feet in Loch an Drainc was found to be coherent 



