Loch Dochfour
| Loch Dochfour | ||
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| Loch Dochfour photographed from a hill to the west | ||
| Geographical location | Highland Council, Scotland | |
| Tributaries | Ness | |
| Drain | Ness | |
| Data | ||
| Coordinates | 57 ° 25 ′ 10 ″ N , 4 ° 19 ′ 20 ″ W | |
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| length | 1.6 km | |
| width | 350 m | |
Loch Dochfour is a small artificial freshwater lake in the Scottish Highlands . It is located about seven kilometers southwest of Inverness and only 500 m northeast of Loch Ness in the Great Glen . The lake is about 1.6 kilometers long and a maximum of 350 m wide.
Loch Dochfour is part of the Caledonian Canal and the River Ness flows through it. The lake receives its water in the southwest via the River Ness from Loch Ness and drains to the northeast via the River Ness, which flows into the Moray Firth near Inverness . Loch Dochfour was created when the water level of Loch Ness was artificially raised by about three meters during the construction of the Caledonian Canal, which also caused the River Ness to overflow its banks and flood parts of its river valley. Due to its artificial origin, its location right next to Loch Ness and its expansion into a shipping canal, many travelers do not perceive Loch Dochfour as an independent lake, but only as part of the Caledonian Canal or a bay of Loch Ness.
Loch Dochfour is very easy to reach via the A82 , which runs directly on the north bank. Also on the north bank is Dochfour House - an 18th century mansion that is a tourist destination primarily for its gardens.
