THE FEESH“WATER LOCHS OF SCOTLAND. 
49 
LOCHS OF THE GAIRLOCH BASIN. 
Eight of tLe lochs within this basin (see Index Map, Fig. 4) were 
sounded by the Lake Survey, viz. Lochs an Eilein, na h-Oidche, Dubh, 
Bad an Sgalaig, a’ Bhealaich, a’ Ghobhainn, Braigh Horrisdale, and Bad 
a’ Chrotha. An attempt was made to sound Loch Clair, but after taking 
one line of soundings in a north-easterly and south-westerly direction, on 
which a depth of 50 feet was attained, the work had to be abandoned on 
account of the leaking of the boat and the strong wind. Loch an Eilein 
drains by a stream entering Loch Gairloch at its north-eastern angle, 
while Lochs na h-Oidche, Dubh, and Bad an Sgalaig form a connected 
series draining by the river Kerry into the south-eastern angle of Loch 
Gairloch, and Lochs a’ Bhealaich, a’ Ghobhainn, Braigh Horrisdale, and 
Bad a’ Chrotha form'another connected series draining by a stream enter- 
ing Loch Gairloch on its southern shore. Yellow trout occur in most of 
the lochs, and Loch Bad a’ Chrotha contains also salmon and sea-trout, 
while Loch Bad an Sgalaig contains j^ike. 
Loch an Eilein (see Plate XVIII.).— Loch an Eilein (or Badh a’ 
Chream) is situated between Loch Ewe and Loch Gairloch, being distant 
from the former rather more than a mile, and from the latter over 2 miles. 
The loch is irregular in outline, with a maximum diameter in a north 
and south direction of two-thirds of a mile, while from east to west the 
greatest width is nearly half a mile, its waters covering an area of about 
92 acres. The maximum depth of 34 feet was observed off the central 
portion of the south-western shore, where the outflowing stream leaves 
the loch. The volume of water is estimated at 58 million cubic feet, and 
the mean depth at nearly 14| feet. The loch was surveyed on August 9, 
1902, but the elevation of the lake-surface above the sea could not be 
determined. 
The floor of Loch an Eilein is uneven ; the 10-feet contour-line 
coincides approximately with the outline of the loch, but within this 
contour the bottom rises in the southern portion of the loch to form two 
small islands, and sinks in four places below the 20-feet level. The 
principal deep basin lies towards the middle of the south-western shore 
at the outflow, where soundings in 28, 30, and 34 feet were taken ; a 
depth of 27 feet was found near the southern end, and a depth of 24 feet 
towards the northern end, while a sounding in 23 feet was recorded 
E 
