THE FRESH-WATER LOCHS OF SCOTLAND. 
45 
than 50 yards across, and, if it were pierced through, the promontory 
would become a central island, entirely surrounded by the waters of the 
loch. Lochan Beannach is about two-thirds of a mile in length by one- 
third of a mile in maximum breadth, covering an area of about 80 acres, 
and draining an area of over 44 square miles. The maximum depth of 
27 feet was observed in the southern portion of the loch, comparatively 
close to the largest island. The volume of water is estimated at 22 
million cubic feet, and the mean de 2 ^th at 6| feet. The floor of Lochan 
Beannach is irregular, wuth many islands and rocks rising above the 
surface of the water. The deepest sounding (27 feet), and a neighbouring 
one of 23 feet, were the only ones exceeding 20 feet in depth, while 
a sounding of 18 feet was taken in the northern part of the loch, and two 
of 14 feet off the north-eastern shore, the area covered by less than 10 feet 
of water being about 70 acres, or 88 J per cent, of the total area. 
Loch na Maine Buige (see Plate XVII.). — Loch na Moine Buige is 
a small loch lying at the foot of the Fionn Loch, into which it drains by a 
short stream. It trends north-west and south-east, and is about three- 
quarters of a milfe in length, with a maximum breadth of less than a 
quarter of a mile, covering an area of about 55 acres. The maximum 
depth of 60 feet was observed close 'to the shore near the south-eastern 
end, where the stream flows out of the loch. The volume of water is 
estimated at 59 million cubic feet, and the mean depth at over 24J feet. 
The variation in the level of the water is slight, the highest drift-mark 
observed being only half a foot above the water on the date of the survey 
(August 8, 1902), when the loch was at its lowest level. Loch na Moine 
Buige is comparatively deep, considering its dimensions, the 25-feet area 
extending nearly from end to end, and covering nearly one-half of the 
total area of the loeh. The 50-feet area is very small, based on the single 
sounding of 60 feet close to the south-western shore, so that the slope 
of the bottom in that position must be steep. The area covered by less 
than 25 feet of water is about 29 acres, or 52 per cent, of the entire area. 
Loch Eileach Mhic ’ille Biahhaich (see Plate XVII.). — This little loch 
is merely a deepening and widening of the river flowing out of the Fionn 
L'och, from which it is separated by two waterfalls ; at its outflow is a 
third waterfall, separating it from another smaller expansion of the Little 
Gruinard river. It trends north-north-east and south-south-west, and 
is nearly three-quarters of a mile in length, with a maximum breadth 
of less than a quarter of a mile, covering an area of about 30 acres. It 
drains directly an area of about half a square mile, but, since it carries the 
outflow from the Fionn Loch, its total drainage area is over 27 square 
miles — an area nearly 550 times greater than that of the loch. The 
maximum depth of 33 feet was observed in the wide part near the foot 
of the loch, where there is a small circular area exceeding 25 feet in 
