LOCH

See also:

• LOCH KATRINE

KATRINE  , a freshwater lake of Scotland, lying almost entirely in Perthshire . The boundary between the counties of Perth and Stirling runs from Glengyle, at the head of the lake, down the centre to a point opposite Stronachlachar from which it strikes to the south-western shore towards Loch Arklet . The loch, which has a south-easterly trend, is about 8 m. long, and its greatest breadth is 1 m . It lies 364 ft. above the sea-level . It occupies an area of 44 square miles and has a drainage basin of 371 square miles . The average depth is 142 ft., the greatest depth being 495 ft . The average annual rainfall is 78 inches . The mean temperature at the surface is 56.4° F., and at the bottom 41° F . The scenery has been immortalized in Sir Walter Scott's Lady of the Lake . The surrounding hills are of considerable attitude, the most remarkable being the head of Ben A'an (1750 ft.) and the grassy craigs and broken contour of Ben Venue (2393 ft.) . It is fed by the Gyle and numerous burns, and drained by the Achray to Loch Achray and thence by the Black Avon to Loch Vennacher . Since 1859 it has formed the chief source of the water-supply of Glasgow, the aqueduct leaving the lake about 12 m .

S.E. of Stronachlachar . By

powers obtained in 1885 the level of the lake was increased by 5 ft. by a system of sluices regulating the outflow of the Achray . One result of this damming up has been to submerge the Silver Strand and to curtail the dimensions of Ellen's Isle . The principal points on the shores are Glengyle, formerly a fastness of the Macgregors, the Trossachs, the Goblins' Cave on Ben Venue, and Stronachlachar (Gaelic, " the mason's nose "), from which there is a ferry to Coilachra on the opposite side . A road has been constructed from the Trossachs for nearly six miles along the northern shore . During summer steamers ply between the Trossachs and Stronachlachar and there is a daily service of coaches from the Trossachs to Callander (about 10 m.) and to Aberfoyle (9 m.), and between Stronachlachar, to Inversnaid on Loch Lomond (about 41 m.) . The road to Inversnaid runs through the Macgregors' country referred to in Scott's Rob Roy .