THE FRESH-WATEH LOCHS OF SCOTLAND. 
195 
LOCHS OF THE MORAR BASIN. 
Three lochs lying in the basin of the river Morar were surveyed — 
viz., Loch Morar, Loch Beoraid, and Loch an Nostarie. There are 
a number of other small lochs in this catchment-basin, but as there 
were no boats on them they could not be surveyed. Loch Morar is the 
principal loch in the basin, and it gives great interest to the whole 
area from the fact that it is not only the deepest lake in Scotland, but 
in the British Islands ; indeed, the bottom of this loch forms the deepest 
hole in the continental plateau on which our islands are situated. 
From the accompanying sketch-map (Fig. 32), it will be seen that 
Lochs Morar and Beoraid are parallel to each other, and run in an east- 
and-west direction. The overflow from Loch Beoraid, which lies about 
3 miles to the south of Loch Morar, enters Loch Morar about its centre 
by the river Meoble, while the overflow from Loch an Nostarie, which 
lies to the north, enters Loch Morar at its western end by the river 
Loin. 
The west end of Loch Morar is only about 500 or 600 yards from 
the sea, and its outflow is by the river Morar, which in its course falls 
over a rocky barrier, at the foot of which is a famous salmon pool. 
The total drainage area of the Morar basin is calculated at 42,000 
acres, or over 65 J square miles. The whole region is rocky and 
mountainous. The district has not yet been mapped by the Geological 
Survey, but it is believed that the whole basin lies entirely in the 
crystalline schists of the Moine series of the Geological Survey, the 
main strike being north-north-east to south-south-west. The rocks 
seen at the barrier at the mouth of the loch are composed of hard 
quartzose flagstones or siliceous Moine schists. The direction of the 
hills at the belt which separates Loch Morar from the sea agrees 
generally with the strike of the rocks. Lochs Morar and Beoraid 
occupy true rock-basins, but it seems almost certain that the outlet 
of Loch Morar was at one time to the south-west, because the col 
there does not rise more than 100 feet above the sea, and there is a 
narrow belt of comparatively flat ground running southwards towards 
the source of the burn called Allt Cam Carach. It will be observed. 
