164 BATHYMETRICAL SURVEY OF 



LOCHS OF THE FINDHORN BASIN. 



WITHIN the catchment area of the river Findhorn (see Index Map, 

 Fig. 19) six lochs were surveyed, viz. Loch Moy, Lochindorb, Loch Allan, 

 Lochan Tiitach, Loch Dallas, and Loch of Blairs, the two first-mentioned 

 being the most important. Loch Moy is situated in Inverness-shire, while 

 Lochindorb and Lochan Tiitach lie on the borders of Elginshire and 

 Nairnshire, the other three being situated in Elginshire. The lochs contain 

 trout, but the fishings are preserved. 



Loch Moy (see Plate LXII.) lies about 9 miles south-east of Inver- 

 ness, surrounded by woods, the Highland Eailway running along the 

 western shore. Moy hall, the residence of The Mackintosh, stands on the 

 northern shore, and on the larger island (Isle of Moy) is a granite monu- 

 ment, 70 feet high, erected to the memory of Sir zEneas Mackintosh in 

 1824, and the ruins of an old castle, while the smaller island (Eilean nan 

 Clach) was formerly used as a temporary prison. The loch trends in a 

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

 half a mile in maximum breadth. Its waters cover an area of about 187 

 acres, or over a quarter of a square mile, and it drains an area exceeding 

 15 square miles. The maximum depth of 50 feet was recorded in the 

 south-eastern part of the loch, midway between the Isle of Moy and the 

 eastern shore. The volume of water is estimated at 157 million cubic 

 feet, and the mean depth at over 19 feet. 



The soundings show some minor irregularities of the lake-floor, nearly 

 two-thirds of which is covered by less than 20 feet of water. The contour- 

 lines circle round the Isle of Moy, deep water being found both to the east 

 and west of that island ; off the western shore of the loch a sounding in 

 33 feet was recorded about 50 feet from shore, indicating a steep slope 

 in that position. The loch was surveyed on October 15, 1903, but the 

 elevation could not be determined from bench-mark ; judging from spot- 

 levels, it is about 880 feet above the sea. The temperature of the surface 

 water was 46'0 Fahr. 



Lochindorb (see Plate LXIIL). Lochindorb (or Loch an-Dorb) lies 

 6 miles to the north-west of Grantown-on-Spey, and about 14 miles south 

 of Forres, draining by the Dorbock burn into the river Findhorn. Near 

 the eastern shore is a small island, with the ruins of Lochindorb Castle, 



