272 BATHYMETRICAL SURVEY OF 



The superficial area is nearly 15 square miles, which places Loch Awe 

 third in this respect among the Scottish lakes, being exceeded only by 

 Loch Lomond with 27 J square miles, and Loch Ness with 21^ square 

 railes. 



Loch Awe was surveyed on May 9 to 22, 1903, and during this time 

 the level of the water varied to the extent of about 2 feet, the highest 

 level, as measured from bench-mark, being 117'9 feet above the sea, 

 and to this level all the soundings on the map have been reduced. It 

 is interesting to note that this elevation is identical with that determined 

 by the naval officers during their survey in 1861, so that the depths 

 shown on the Admiralty chart are strictly comparable with those shown 

 on the Lake Survey map now published. Thus the maximum depth 

 given on the Admiralty chart is 51 fathoms, or 306 feet, four soundings 

 at this depth being indicated between 4 and 5 miles from the head 

 of the loch, while the maximum depth recorded by the Lake Survey is 

 307 feet, two soundings being taken at this depth in a similar position. 

 As regards maximum depth, Loch Awe is exceeded by fourteen Scottish 

 lakes, and as regards mean depth, which is estimated at 105 feet, Loch 

 Awe is exceeded by nineteen Scottish lakes. The volume of water in 

 Loch Awe is estimated at 43,451 millions of cubic feet, which is exceeded 

 by only four Scottish lakes (Lochs Ness, Lomond, Morar, and Tay). 



The floor of Loch Awe is uneven, as will be seen from the longitudinal 

 section along the axis of maximum depth placed at the foot of the map. 

 Some of the cross-lines of soundings also show irregularities of the bottom. 

 The 50-feet contour-line is continuous, and coincides, on the whole, with 

 the outline of the loch, extending nearly from end to end. The 100-feet 

 contour encloses three separate areas (1) the largest extending from 

 little more than a mile from the head of the loch to near the islands at 

 the junction of the arm at the Pass of Brander, a distance of about 18 

 miles ; (2) frhe second, extending from about half a mile from the entrance 

 of the river Orchy into the arm at the Pass of Brander, is over 4 miles 

 in length ; and (3) the smallest, based on soundings in 125 and 128 feet, 

 in the Pass of Brander, separated from the second area by a depth of 

 86 feet. The 200-feet contour encloses no fewer than five separate 

 areas : (1) a very small area based on an isolated sounding in 200 feet 

 about 2 miles from the head* of the loch, separated from the second area 

 by a depth of 195 feet; (2) the principal area, including the deepest 

 water in the loch, about 5^ miles in length, extending from the entrance 

 of the Kames river to little more than 2 miles from the head of the loch ; 



(3) an area about 1 J miles in length at the junction of the main loch with 

 the arm at the Pass of Brander, having a maximum depth of 249 feet ; 



(4) a small area, based on soundings in 207, 217, and 230 feet, lying 

 between the islands of Innis Chonain and Eilean Beith ; and (5) a small 

 area with a maximum depth of 234 feet, off Rudha Dubhairt, about 1 \ miles 

 from the entrance of the river Orchy. It is to be noted that the middle 



