LENY WATER 47 



side of the high pass (about 1800 feet), which separates the Loch- 

 larig glen from the mouth of Glen Falloch at the head of Loch 

 Lomond. Lochs Doine, Voil, and Lubnaig, were, no doubt, at one 

 time a continuous sheet of water, and even at the present day the 

 separations which exist are slight, being stretches of alluvium 

 washed down by the hill streams, which all enter the valley of the 

 lochs at right angles. The burn in the Monaclyle glen is chiefly 

 responsible for the delta which now separates Loch Doine from Loch 

 Yoil. Both lochs are still of the same level, and similar depths are 

 found on either side of the mass of detritus which separates them. 

 The height above the sea is 414 feet, which is 50 feet above the level 

 of Loch Katrine, and the suggestion has been made before now that 

 Glasgow Water Commissioners could add to their supply in Loch 

 Katrine by tapping Loch Yoil. If this came about it would be 

 another serious menace to the salmon fishery interests of the Forth 

 district. The two lochs drain an area of 24,600 acres, or 38 J square 

 miles. Loch Yoil is 3J miles long and has a mean breadth of a 

 quarter of a mile. The average depth is about 40 feet, and the 

 maximum depth 98 feet. The deep water is at the western end and 

 the water then gradually shallows in the Balquhidder direction. 

 Loch Doine is a simple basin, deepening centrally to 65 feet. 



Both lochs are set amongst magnificent mountains of varied out- 

 line, and, lying as they do in an east and west direction, offer views, 

 especially at sunset, which cannot easily be excelled in Scotland. 

 This is the centre of the Eob Eoy country ; his house stood at the 

 head of Loch Doine, and he was hunted hard on the Braes of 

 Balquhidder and on Loch Lomond side. He lies buried in Bal- 

 quhidder kirkyard. 



Salmon penetrate to both lochs, although they are not caught in 

 great numbers ; but they manage to reach these waters fairly early 

 in the season, so that the chance of catching the fish that are present 

 is greater than otherwise would be the case. Fish which enter a 

 loch late are never of any sporting value. The opening of the season 

 is generally the best. I noticed that, in 1908, between 15th and 

 31st January, the capture of 4 salmon were reported, and later I 

 saw notice of a few fish taken in Loch Yoil. 



The distance from Loch Yoil to Loch Lubnaig is 5 miles, and 

 the river Balvag meanders with many windings along this flat 

 Strathyre. The fall from the one loch to the other is only 9 feet, 

 so that naturally the flow of the river is very slow. The Kirkton 

 Burn, behind Balquhidder, and the Caladir Burn directly opposite 



