THE FRESH- WATER LOCHS OF SCOTLAND. 55 



maximum depth of 44 feet was observed, from the small western 50-feet 

 area, based on soundings in 51 and 58 feet, distant about 200 yards from 

 the western end of the loch. The 25-feet contour encloses a continuous 

 area from end to end, coinciding approximately with the shore-line. Off 

 the southern shore, about half a mile from the western end, were some 

 sunken rocks and stones covered by 1 to 2 feet of water. The following 

 table gives the approximate areas between the contour-lines, and the per- 

 centages to the total area of the loch : 



Feet. Acres. Per cent. 



Oto25 121 ... 43 



25 50 104 ... 38 



50 75 37 ... 13 



Over 75 17 ... 6 



279 100 



The surface temperature on commencing the survey at 12.30 p.m. 

 on August 8, 1902, was 54 C> Fahr. 



Loch a' Ghobhainn (see Plate XIX.). Loch a' Ghobhainn (or Gouen) 

 lies immediately to the north-west of Loch a' Bhealaich, and about 2 

 miles to the west of Loch na h-Oidche. The outflow is carried into Loch 

 Gaineamhach, lying about a mile to the west-north-west, which was not 

 surveyed because there was no boat on it. Loch a' Ghobhainn is irregularly 

 elliptical in outline, and trends in a north-west and south-east direction, 

 being about three-quarters of a mile in length and one-third of a mile in 

 maximum breadth. Its waters cover an area of about 98 acres, and it 

 drains directly an area of over a square mile, but since it receives the 

 superfluent waters from Loch a' Bhealaich its total drainage area exceeds 

 6 square miles. The maximum depth of 28 feet was observed approxi- 

 mately in the middle of the loch. The volume of water is estimated at 

 54 million cubic feet, and the mean depth at 12 J feet. The loch was 

 surveyed on the same day as Loch a' Bhealaich, August 8, 1902, but the 

 elevation of the lake-surface above the sea could not be determined ; 

 judging from spot-levels and contour-lines on the Ordnance Survey maps 

 the elevation of both these lochs must be just above the 1000 feet level. 



Although the 10-feet and 20-feet contours enclose continuous areas, the 

 floor of Loch a' Ghobhainn is rather irregular, especially in the south- 

 eastern half of the loch, as evidenced by the sinuous character of the 

 contours. The deeper water occurs in the north-western portion of the 

 loch, and approaches close to the north-west end, a sounding in 27 feet 

 having been taken within 100 yards from that end. Near the middle 

 of the loch in the vicinity of the deepest sounding a rise of the 

 bottom, covered by 15 feet of water and with deeper water on both sides, 

 was observed, and similar irregularities occur towards the south-east, where 

 a sounding in 6 feet was taken in a central position, and one in 9 feet near 

 the south-western shore, surrounded by deeper water. Near the south-east 



