Loch Loyal
| Loch Loyal | ||
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| Geographical location | Highland , Scotland | |
| Tributaries | Allt Dionach-caraidh (from Loch Coulside ), Allt Tor an Tairbh, Allt Achadn an sac | |
| Drain | → Loch Craggie → River Borgie | |
| Data | ||
| Coordinates | 58 ° 24 '23 " N , 4 ° 21' 44" W | |
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| length | 10 km | |
| width | 1.5 km | |
| Maximum depth | 40 m | |
Loch Loyal is a freshwater lake in the Scottish Highlands. The lake is located in the Highland Council Area in the former county of Sutherland .
Loch Loyal has the typical elongated shape of a lake created by glaciers in the Ice Age . It is almost ten kilometers long, but only about 1.5 km wide. The greatest depth is around 40 m. The lake receives water from numerous streams. The largest of these is the Allt Dionach-caraidh, which flows into Loch Loyal at the southern tip and feeds it with water from Loch Coulside . Further tributaries are Allt Tor an Tairbh and Allt Achadn an sac. In the north, Loch Loyal drains through a just 100 m long drain in Loch Craggie , from where the water ultimately flows over the River Borgie into the Atlantic.
Loch Loyal is located in northern Scotland, which has been extremely thinly populated since the Highland Clearances . Only the west bank of the lake, from which Ben Loyal rises, is accessed by a single-lane road with passing points ( A836 ). The east bank can only be reached on foot. The lake is an important breeding area for gray geese . Occasionally golden eagles can be spotted. Loch Loyal is surrounded by the typical treeless landscape of the Northern Highlands. This barren environment gives the lake a harsh appearance that clearly distinguishes it from the idyllic Lochs in southern Scotland .
