Loch Choire is a
loch
''Loch'' () is the Scottish Gaelic, Scots language, Scots and Irish language, Irish word for a lake or sea inlet. It is Cognate, cognate with the Manx language, Manx lough, Cornish language, Cornish logh, and one of the Welsh language, Welsh w ...
in
Sutherland
Sutherland ( gd, Cataibh) is a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area in the Highlands of Scotland. Its county town is Dornoch. Sutherland borders Caithness and Moray Firth to the east, Ross-shire and Cromartyshire (later ...
in the
Highland council area of northern Scotland. It is located at the end of a rural street which links the loch and the lodges around it with
Badanloch Lodge and the B871 main road.
History
Many old maps of
Sutherland
Sutherland ( gd, Cataibh) is a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area in the Highlands of Scotland. Its county town is Dornoch. Sutherland borders Caithness and Moray Firth to the east, Ross-shire and Cromartyshire (later ...
show evidence of the existence of Loch Choire from various sources from as far back as the 19th century. This includes maps from 1830, 1882 and 1884. However many older maps didn't show obvious evidence of Loch Choire and those that did didn't give much detail due to the area not having been surveyed much at that time. An example of this can be shown from maps from around 1820. Additionally Ordnance Survey has had the Loch marked and visited since 1961.
Geography
The Primary inflows of Loch Choire are
Allt Coire Na Fearna and
Loch a' Bhealaich
''Loch'' () is the Scottish Gaelic, Scots and Irish word for a lake or sea inlet. It is cognate with the Manx lough, Cornish logh, and one of the Welsh words for lake, llwch.
In English English and Hiberno-English, the anglicised spelling ...
all of which bring in water from the nearby mountains. To the north of Loch Choire is
Ben Klibreck
Ben Klibreck ( gd, Beinn Clìbric) is a Scottish mountain located in central Sutherland. It is an isolated hill, rising above a large area of moorland. The highest point, Meall nan Con (the mound of the dogs), rises to elevation and is therefor ...
, one of the tallest mountains in
Sutherland
Sutherland ( gd, Cataibh) is a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area in the Highlands of Scotland. Its county town is Dornoch. Sutherland borders Caithness and Moray Firth to the east, Ross-shire and Cromartyshire (later ...
and flowing out of Loch Choire is the
Mallart River. Loch Choire has one island located at the eastern end of the loch and the loch is 5 kilometres long and around 700–1000 metres wide. The loch is elevated 173 metres above sea level and has four settlements on it: Loch Choire Lodge, Coire Na Fearna, Alltnaba and Alltalaird.
Allt Coire Na Fearna flows into Loch Choire from the south bringing in water from peaks such as Creag Riabhach na Gheighe, Meall an Fhuarain, Meall na Caillich and Meall a' Bhata. Much of the water flows from these mountains itno Allt Coire Na Fearna through its tributaries: Allt na Caillich and Allt a' Chraisg.
Loch a' Bhealaich
''Loch'' () is the Scottish Gaelic, Scots and Irish word for a lake or sea inlet. It is cognate with the Manx lough, Cornish logh, and one of the Welsh words for lake, llwch.
In English English and Hiberno-English, the anglicised spelling ...
is connected to Loch Choire by a very small, unnamed channel which flows downstream a few metres connecting the two lochs. Therefore, Loch a' Bhealaich is elevated slightly higher than Loch Choire.
Settlements
There are four settlements in the vicinity of Loch Choire, three of which are directly on the shore and easily accessible by road.
Loch Choire Lodge
Coire Na Fearna
Alltnaba
Alltalaird
Tourism and Lodges
Archaeology
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Choire, Loch
Lochs of Sutherland