78 
BATHYMETRICAL SURVEY OP 
LOCHS OF THE MELFORT BASIN. 
The area draining into Loch Melfort includes a complex series of lochs, 
eight of which were sounded by the Lake Survey, viz. Lochs Tralaig, 
Dubh-mor, a’ Chaoruinn, a’ Phearsain, nan Druimnean, an Losgainn Mor, 
and Kilchoan (upper and lower). Loch Tralaig, the most important 
one in the basin, drains by the river Oude into Fearnach bay, the north- 
eastern offshoot at the head of Loch Melfort, while Lochs Dubh-mor, a’ 
Chaoruinn, a’ Phearsain, nan Druimnean, and an Losgainn Mor drain 
into Loch na Cille, the south-eastern offshoot at the head of Loch 
Melfort ; the two Kilchoan lochs drain into Kilchoan bay on the northern 
shore of Loch Melfort near its mouth. These lochs are fairly deep, 
all hut one exceeding 40 feet, and two of them exceeding 100 feet, in 
depth. The scenery of the district is very fine, and the trout fishing 
in the lochs is good, some of them having been stocked with Loch Leven 
trout. 
Loch Tralaig (see Plate XXXI.). — Loch Tralaig is situated about 
3 miles north-east of Kilrnelfort, and little more than 2 miles north-west 
of Loch Avich -in the Etive basin. It trends almost east and west, and 
exceeds a mile in length, with a maximum breadth of one-third of a mile. 
T^he loch covers an area of about 149 acres, or nearly a quarter of a square 
mile, and receives the drainage from an area of about 4^ square miles. 
The principal inflow is at the eastern end, while several minor streams 
enter on the southern side ; the river Oude flows out at the west end. 
The volume of water is estimated at 267 millions of cubic feet, and the 
mean depth at 41 feet. The conformation is rather complex, the loch 
being divided into two basins, the larger and deeper one in the eastern 
portion of the loch, separated by a narrow channel from the smaller ane. 
shallower one at the west end. The maximum depth of 117 feet was 
observed in the centre of the eastern basin, while the deepest sounding 
taken in the western basin was 53 feet, the depth on the intervening 
barrier being 13 to 23 feet. Within the eastern basin there is in deep 
water a slight shoaling covered by 74 feet, with deeper water both to the 
west and to the east. The following table gives the approximate areas 
between the contour-lines, and the percentages to the total area : — 
