THE FRESH- WATER LOCHS OF SCOTLAND. 
217 
induced the Lake Survey to sound it. The trouble taken was well 
repaid by the curious nature of the bottom revealed by the soundings.* 
Eilean Subhainn is 292J acres in area, its shore-line being very 
irregular. The surface of the ground is uneven, though nowhere except 
in the south-east corner is it very elevated ; here, however, a small hill 
rises to a height of 84 feet above the level of Loch Maree. The greater 
part of the island is not more than 30 to 40 feet above Loch Maree, 
this rise for the most part taking place in the first 30 yards, and in 
some places there are vertical cliffs from 20 to 30 feet in height. In 
these cliffs it is seen that the island is composed of Torridon Sandstone ; 
the rock does not appear elsewhere except around the little loch, the 
island being covered with peat, with a considerable number of fir trees 
round the shore and in the south-east corner. 
The loch lies in a small hollow in the centre of the island, being 
situated about a quarter of a mile from the south-east shore, and one- 
third of a mile from the west shore of the island, and about 150 yards 
from the Lily Loch. Its level was determined on July 24, 1902, to 
be 57‘4 feet above sea-level, and 27*9 feet above the surface of Loch 
Maree. 
The loch trends in an east and west direction, and its length is a 
little over 250 yards; its maximum breadth is about 100 yards, and the 
mean breadth about 70 yards. Its waters cover an area of nearly 5 
acres, and its drainage area is ten times greater, or 51 acres; the shore 
development is D62 and the insulosity 0-02. The maximum depth is 
64 feet, and hence the bottom of the loch is 30 feet below the level 
of Loch Maree, and feet below sea-level. The volume of water 
contained in the loch is estimated at 6 millions of cubic feet, and the 
mean depth at 46 J feet. 
The loch is fairly regular in outline, and has three small islands in 
it. The deepest part is a mere hole near the western end; on the ridge 
running across from the island near the north shore to the island with 
the tree there is only 5 feet of water, but there is a considerable depth 
of mud. In the eastern part of the loch depths of 12 feet were met 
with. Eighty-five per cent, of the total area of the loch is less than 
50 feet in depth. This loch is the only one situated on an island in 
another loch which has been visited by the Lake Survey. It was 
surveyed on July 24, 1902. 
Temperature Observations . — Many surface temperatures were taken 
in Loch Maree between July 16 and 24, 1902, the greatest range 
observed being from 53°*3 off Letterewe at 11 a.m. on the 21st, to 57°‘0 
at Talladale at 7 p.m. on the 22nd. The surface temperature in the 
south-east end of the loch was almost always higher than that in the 
* The method of sounditig out this loch is interesting : it Avas found impossible to 
transport a boat to the loch, and Mr. Garrett took soundings by hand while swimming. 
