Loch Eck (
Gaelic
Gaelic is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". As a noun it refers to the group of languages spoken by the Gaels, or to any one of the languages individually. Gaelic languages are spoken in Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, and Ca ...
: ''Loch Eich'') is a freshwater
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 ...
located on the
Cowal peninsula, north of
Dunoon,
Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It is long. Along with
Loch Lomond, it is the only naturally occurring habitat of the
Powan
The powan (''Coregonus clupeoides'') is a kind of freshwater whitefish endemic to two lochs in Scotland, Loch Lomond and Loch Eck.Freyhof, J. & Kottelat, M. (2008''Coregonus clupeoides''.In:IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2010.1. (Ac ...
(fish).
[Freyhof, J. & Kottelat, M. (2008]
''Coregonus clupeoides''.
In:IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2010.1. (Accessed 17 April 2010) The loch also has salmon, sea trout, brown trout and arctic charr.
Loch Eck is within the
Argyll Forest Park which, is itself part of the
Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park. It is close to the
Benmore Botanic Garden and the Benmore Outdoor Centre, which uses the loch and its surrounding for outdoor learning.
The
A815 road bounds the east side. A pathway runs along the west side of the loch, and gives access to the Paper Caves, set in the steep hillside with caving access to a platform set above a steep scarp within the cave.
A legend holds that the Argyll family documents were hidden in the caves when the
9th Earl of Argyll
Archibald Campbell, 9th Earl of Argyll (26 February 1629 – 30 June 1685) was a Scottish peer and soldier.
The hereditary chief of Clan Campbell, and a prominent figure in Scottish politics, he was a Royalist supporter during the latter stag ...
was arrested, to prevent his lands from being made forfeit.
The loch is also an impounding reservoir with a water treatment works, that were upgraded in 2012 by
Scottish Water, which supplies the freshwater to much of the southeast of Cowal, including Dunoon.
In July 2013, two dogs died due to algal bloom present in the loch. Warnings were then posted advising that people and animals should avoid contact with the water. Recently, three further incidents have happened, one in June 2019 and two in July 2021.
The actress
Emma Thompson
Dame Emma Thompson (born 15 April 1959) is a British actress. Regarded as one of the best actresses of her generation, she has received numerous accolades throughout her four-decade-long career, including two Academy Awards, two British A ...
owns a house on the shore of the loch.
See also
*
List of reservoirs and dams in the United Kingdom
References
Sources
ARGYLL AND BUTE COUNCIL RESERVOIRS ACT 1975 PUBLIC REGISTER
External links
Lock Eck pageon Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Loch Eck
Eck
Eck or ECK may refer to:
* Eck (brewery), a German brewery
* Eck en Wiel, a town in the Dutch province of Gelderland
* Eck Stadium, in Wichita, Kansas, United States
* Eckankar, a religion
** Temple of Eck
* Loch Eck, in Scotland
* Team ECK, a ...
Eck
Eck or ECK may refer to:
* Eck (brewery), a German brewery
* Eck en Wiel, a town in the Dutch province of Gelderland
* Eck Stadium, in Wichita, Kansas, United States
* Eckankar, a religion
** Temple of Eck
* Loch Eck, in Scotland
* Team ECK, a ...
Eck
Eck or ECK may refer to:
* Eck (brewery), a German brewery
* Eck en Wiel, a town in the Dutch province of Gelderland
* Eck Stadium, in Wichita, Kansas, United States
* Eckankar, a religion
** Temple of Eck
* Loch Eck, in Scotland
* Team ECK, a ...
Cowal