146 BATHYMETRICAL SURVEY OF 



in the lochs are preserved ; in Loch Callater there are a few trout, and 

 salmon late in the season, with pike and eels, and Lock Muick contains 

 trout, while Lochs Davan and Kinord contain pike and perch. 



The upper lochs are mountain valley-basins, Loch Muick partaking both 

 of the character of a rock-basin and of a barrier- basin, while Loch Callater 

 is a true barrier-basin. The other lochs occur in the cup-shaped and 

 irregular depressions of the so-called morainic country generally found at 

 the base of a mountain region. 



Loch Callater (see Plate LIT.) lies about 5 miles south of Braemar. On 

 both sides of the loch the hills rise with fairly steep slopes, especially at 

 the south-east end of the loch. No outcrops could be detected on the 

 shores, which are stony and composed of moraine matter. The loch trends 

 in a north-west and south-east direction, and is nearly a mile in length, 

 with a maximum breadth of one-fifth of a mile, the superficial area being 

 about 73 acres, and the drainage area nearly 8 square miles. The largest 

 feeder is the Allt an Loch, entering at the southern end. The maximum 

 depth of 30 feet was observed near the middle of the loch, but towards the 

 south-western shore. The volume of water is estimated at 38 million cubic 

 feot, and the mean depth at 12 feet. The floor of the loch shows one or 

 two slight irregularities, but on the whole the basin is simple in conforma- 

 tion; nearly one-half of the lake-floor is covered by less than 10 feet of 

 water. At the head of the loch is a large alluvial tract, which evidently 

 at one time formed part of the loch, the outflowing burn having cut its way 

 through the morainic barrier, and ultimately the lake may be entirely 

 drained, and converted into an alluvial plain. The loch was surveyed on 

 July 11, 1905, but the elevation could not be determined from bench- 

 mark; from spot-levels it was estimated to be about 1625 feet above the 

 sea. Temperatures taken in the deepest part of the loch showed a range of 

 10*2 Fahr. from surface to bottom, the readings being 



Surface 66-2 Fahr. 



20 feet 59-0 



29 56-0 



Loch Muick (see Plate LIIL), the largest and most picturesque of the 

 lochs in the Dee basin, lies about 8 miles south-west of Ballater amid wild 

 and magnificent scenery. On both sides of the loch the mountain-slopes 

 rise precipitously from the water's edge. The shores are stony, with many 

 big boulders. The loch trends in a south-west and north-east direction, 

 the axis being slightly curved, and is 2\ miles in length, half a mile in 

 maximum breadth, the mean breadth exceeding one-third of a mile. The 

 superficial area is about 549 acres, or nearly a square mile, while the 

 drainage area exceeds 14 square miles. The loch is fed by numerous 

 small streams, the largest feeder being the Allt an Dubh-loch, coming 

 from the Dubh Loch lying towards the head of the valley at an elevation of 

 about 2100 feet. The Glas Allt enters on the northern shore near the 



