Loch Mhòr is a loch in the traditional county of

Inverness-shire Inverness-shire ( gd, Siorrachd Inbhir Nis) is a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland. Covering much of the Highlands and Outer Hebrides, it is Scotland's largest county, though one of the smallest in populatio ...

in the

Scottish Highlands The Highlands ( sco, the Hielands; gd, a’ Ghàidhealtachd , 'the place of the Gaels') is a historical region of Scotland. Culturally, the Highlands and the Lowlands diverged from the Late Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland Sco ...

. Its name literally translates to "Big Loch". It occupies much of the wide floor of Stratherrick which runs roughly parallel to

Loch Ness Loch Ness (; gd, Loch Nis ) is a large freshwater loch in the Scottish Highlands extending for approximately southwest of Inverness. It takes its name from the River Ness, which flows from the northern end. Loch Ness is best known for clai ...

, around to its southeast. A generally shallow body of water above Loch Ness, Loch Mhòr achieves a depth in excess of towards its southern end. Loch Mhòr was originally two separate lochs, Loch Garth in the southwest and Loch Farraline in the northeast. The water level was raised, so it could be used as a reservoir for a hydro-electric scheme and associated aluminium smelter at Foyers. The smelter closed in 1967, but the Loch is still used as a reservoir for a 300 MW

pumped-storage hydroelectricity Pumped-storage hydroelectricity (PSH), or pumped hydroelectric energy storage (PHES), is a type of hydroelectric energy storage used by electric power systems for load balancing. The method stores energy in the form of gravitational potential ...

facility. This joined the two lochs into one, though they are still divided by a causeway carrying a minor road. In its middle reaches, a broad and shallow embayment on its southeastern shore contains a scatter of islets. The main rivers into the Loch are the

River E The River E is a river in the Highlands of Scotland. It begins in the north-west of the Monadh Liath, to the south-east of Loch Ness. It runs in a north-westerly direction for about 10 km, before flowing into Loch Mhòr. The river has a sma ...

, and some of the flow of the River Fechlin, which has been diverted through an aqueduct. The waters of the loch empty as the River Gourag below a dam at its southwestern end. This short river joins the

River Foyers Foyers ( gd, Foithir, meaning "shelving slope") is a village in the Highland council area of Scotland, lying on the east shore of Loch Ness. The village is situated on the B852, part of the Military Road built by General George Wade, northeast ...

which empties into Loch Ness.Ordnance Survey 1:50,000 scale Landranger map sheet 35 ''Kingussie'' and 1:25,000 scale Explorer map sheet 416 ''Inverness, Loch Ness & Culloden''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mhor Mhor Mhor Freshwater lochs of Scotland