THE FRESH-WATER LOCHS OF SCOTLAND. 143 



LOCHS OF THE LUNAN BASIN, 



THE area draining by the Lunan water (see Index Map, Fig. 16) into 

 Lunan bay, on the east coast of Scotland, between Arbroath and Montrose, 

 includes three small lochs sounded by the Lake Survey, viz. Lochs Fithie, 

 Rescobie, and Balgavies. They lie towards the head-waters of the Lunan, 

 In miles or more from the sea, and 2 to 5 miles east of the town of Forfar, 

 forming a series trending generally in an east and west direction. Res- 

 cobie Loch, the central one of the series, is the largest, though Balgavies 

 Loch, the easternmost, is the deepest, Loch Fithie, the westernmost, being 

 the smallest in every respect. The lochs contain trout, perch, pike, and 

 eels, but the fishing is preserved. 



Loch Fithie (see Plate LI.) is situated less than 2 miles east of Forfar, 

 surrounded by woods. There was a fringe of bushes nearly all round 

 some distance out in the water, and a prickly water-weed was very 

 abundant all over the loch, floating at times, but dredged also from the 

 deepest part of the loch. The length is nearly half a mile, and the width 

 nearly uniform, only about 150 yards, the superficial area being about 

 21 acres, of which about 70 per cent, is covered by less than 10 feet of 

 water, while in the eastern part of the loch there is a basin exceeding 1 

 feet in depth, with a maximum depth of 16 feet in its central part. The 

 volume of water is estimated at 7 million cubic feet, and the mean depth 

 at 7 ^ feet. The loch was surveyed on June 30, 1903, when the elevation 

 was 215*5 feet above the sea. The water rises and falls considerably, a 

 drift-mark being observed about 5 feet above the water, which was high at 

 the time of the survey, and might fall to the extent of several feet. The 

 inflow is at the east end on the southern shore, but there is no known 

 outflow. The temperature of the water was nearly uniform throughout, 

 the readings at the surface and at 10 feet being 62*2 Fahr., and at 15 

 feet 62-1. 



Hescobie Loch (see Plate LI.) lies about 3 miles east of Forfar, 

 surrounded by cultivated fields, with a strip of wood on the north 

 shore at the east end. The loch is 1| miles in length, by one-third 

 of a mile in maximum breadth, the mean breadth being one-fifth of a mile. 

 The superficial area is about 158 acres, or a quarter of a square mile, of 

 which about 57 per cent, is covered by less than 10 feet of water. The 



