Loch Eck
United Kingdom · Europe
About
Loch Eck (Gaelic: Loch Eich) is a freshwater loch located on the Cowal Peninsula, north of Dunoon, in Argyll and Bute, west of Scotland. It is seven miles (11 kilometres) long.
It is oriented in a north-south direction. Its main inflow, at the northern end, is the River Cur, and its main outflow, at the southern end, is the River Eachaig, which meanders somewhat within the confines of the broad strath before flowing into the head of Holy Loch, about 5 km further south.
Along with Loch Lomond, it is the only naturally occurring habitat of the powan (fish), although it is closely related to the gwyniad and other similar fish. The loch also has salmon, sea trout, brown trout and arctic char.
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 was arrested, to prevent his lands from being made forfeit.
Adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)。Photography via Wikimedia Commons.