60 BATHYMETKICAL SURVEY OF 



LOCHS OF THE CARRON BASIN. 



THERE are two Carron rivers in Ross-shire, one flowing into the 

 Dornoch firth on the east coast, the other into Loch Carron on the west 

 coast. The latter is the one under consideration ; it rises at the head of 

 Glen Carron, and in its course passes through Lochs Sgamhain and Dhug- 

 haill, which are here to be described. The scenery is grand and 

 mountainous, and the fishing in the lochs, which is preserved, includes 

 salmon, sea-trout, salmo ferox, and char. 



Loch Sgamhain (see Plate XXI.). Loch Sgamhain (or Scaven) lies 

 near the head of Glen Carron, with Beinn na Feusaige (2000 feet) rising 

 on the north, and Moruisg (3026 feet) on the south, and distant only about 

 2| miles from Loch Gown in the Conon basin, belonging to the eastern 

 drainage system. The loch trends in a north-east and south-west direction, 

 and exceeds a mile in length by one-third of a mile in maximum breadth. 

 Its waters cover an area of about 141 acres, and it drains an area of 1\ 

 square miles. The maximum depth of 72 feet was observed near the centre 

 of the loch. The volume of water. is estimated at 165 million cubic feet, 

 and the mean depth at nearly 27 feet. The loch was surveyed on August 8, 

 1902, when the elevation was found to be 491 '6 feet above the sea, as 

 compared with 490'9 feet observed by the Ordnance Survey officers on 

 August 12, 1870. 



The shores of the loch are comparatively simple, but near the west end 

 a considerable promontory known as Cnoc nan Sguad projects into the 

 loch from the northern shore. There are two small islands in the centre 

 of the loch, opposite Cnoc nan Sguad ; between the islands and the 

 promontory a depth of 32 feet was recorded, but between the islands and 

 the southern shore the depth does not exceed 12 feet. The 25-feet basin 

 extends nearly from end to end of the loch, but is very narrow in its 

 western portion. The wide eastern portion encloses the 50-feet basin, 

 which occupies a central position, and is about one-third of a mile in 

 length, approaching close to the promontory of Cnoc nan Sguad on its 

 eastern side. The area of the lake-floor covered by less than 25 feet of 

 water is about 75 acres, or 53 per cent, of the total area. 



Loch Dhughaill (see Plate XXII.). Loch Dhiighaill (or Doule) lies 

 about 4 miles from the head of Loch Carron, and about 6 miles south-west 

 of Loch Sgamhain. It is surrounded by lofty mountains, Fuar Tholl 



