THE FRESH-WATER LOCHS OF SCOTLAND. 233 



area of more than half a square mile. It was only possible to survey 

 a small proportion of the lochs, as a great many had no boats on them. 

 Among those surveyed there are some half-dozen somewhat larger lochs 

 (Lochs Spiggie, Ting wall, Strom, Girlsta, Vaara, and Eela). Lochs in 

 twenty distinct basins were surveyed, and in six of the basins there were 

 two lochs surveyed. 



The portion of the mainland called North Roe is like North Uist or 

 Benbecula. The tract containing the lochs is situated to the north of Ronas 

 hill and towards the west coast. Seen from the top of Black Butten, one 

 of the summits of Ronas hill, the scene is like that viewed from Lee in 

 Uist, but of less extent. The lochs are seen thickly studded over a stretch 

 of rugged, dark moorland some 4 miles long by 3 miles broad. The 

 moor undulates a good deal between 350 and 500 feet, and most of 

 the larger lochs are near the latter level. All the lochs in this part 

 which were surveyed drain independently into the sea, either to north 

 or west, except Clubbi Shuns and Roer Water, which discharge into Colla 

 firth on the south-east. The lochs surveyed in this district were Roer 

 Water, Clubbi Shuns, Flugarth, Muckle Lunga, and Birka. 



The two little lochs in the island of Bressay (Brough and Setter) are 

 the smallest which were surveyed in Shetland. Both lochs are in the same 

 basin the Setter basin. 



The island of Yell, the second largest island of the archipelago, is 

 nearly cut in two by the opposite inlets of Whale Firth and Mid Yell 

 Yoe. There are in the northern half several fairly large lochs, and in the 

 southern half only a number of smaller lochs. There were no means of 

 surveying any of these lochs except one very small one, the Loch of 

 Littlester, at the south end of the island. 



The island of Unst is traversed from end to end by a central valley, in 

 which there are two lochs the Loch of Watlee (not surveyed), and the 

 Loch of Cliff, one of the largest lochs in Shetland. There are a good 

 many smaller lochs, of which one only, the Loch of Snarravoe, was 

 surveyed. 



Sandy Loch (see Plate XCY.) is a small loch on the hill which rises 

 south-west from Lerwick, and about 2 miles from the town. A steep 

 heather-clad hill rises on the west ; to the east is a stretch of deep black 

 peat. Rock was seen on the north and west. The loch is dammed up, 

 and gives the water-supply to the town of Lerwick. The length is 

 a little less than half a mile, the breadth a quarter of a mile, the greatest 

 depth 7 feet. The area is about 46 acres, the drainage area barely one 

 square mile, and the volume of water 9 millions of cubic feet. The 

 chief feeder is a burn from the hill of Fitch, and the outflow by a stream 

 half a mile long into the Yoe of Sound. The level at the date of survey, 

 August 11, 1903, was 219-85 feet. 



The surface temperature was 57 "'9 Fahr. 



