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Virtual-tripping, invites you to the lochs in Scotland, U.K.

By Mark on May 13, 2010

This is my post about some of the most beautiful, lakes in and around Scotland, U.K. Scotland is a wonderful country to visit and not just the mainland, it has over 790 offshore islands, of which are to be found in four main groups: Shetland, Orkney, and the Hebrides, sub-divided into the Inner Hebrides and Outer Hebrides. There are also clusters of islands in the Firth of Clyde, Firth of Forth, and Solway Firth, and numerous small islands within the many bodies of fresh water in Scotland including Loch Lomond and Loch Maree. We are very lucky living in the U.K, becuase there are some wonderful sights, for example, if you visit some of these islands, you can find, whales, dolphins, porpoises, Basking Sharks, Seals, Otters, Ocean Sunfish, rabbits, Hedgehogs, Adders, Badgers, Bats, Hare, Vole, Otter, Pine Marten, Red Deer, Red Fox, Red Squirrel, Roe Deer, Scottish Wood Ant, Wild Goat, Wildcat and different types of Birds, including the Golden Eagle and many different type of insect species. So just think how lucky you will be if you visit Scotland and her islands.

[Kilchurn Castle, Loch Awe, Scotland] (LOC)

Photo by The Library of Congress

[Islands from Luss Quarries, Loch Lomond, Scotland] (LOC)

Now around the mainland of Scotland there are there least 31,460 freshwater lochs in Scotland, and more than 7,500 in the Western Isles alone. So what does the word Loch mean and where did it come from, well the word Loch is a Scottish Gaelic word for a lake or fiord (cognate with the Irish Gaelic lough) which has been borrowed by Scots and Scottish English to apply to such bodies of water, especially those located in Scotland. One of the things that makes me intersted in Scotland and her islands, is how many different lakes and lochs are around to see and of course I would imagine, that there are many different species living within these Lochs and Lakes, including the mythical Loch Ness Monster, or is it, who knows. There are great hillsides and mountains around alot of the Lochs and Lakes, with beautiful grasses, forests and trees. There are some Lochs that are so large that villages and towns have been built nearby, and just sitting there imaging how peaceful the world really his, no sound of planes just nature at its best, of course there are planes, helicopters and traffic with roads leading to most Lochs and Lakes.

Photo by The Library of Congress

Glas-leitire Trails 34

Photo by afcone

Photo by The Library of Congress

There is a freshwater Lake, known as the Lake of Menteith it is the only natural body of water called a “lake” in Scotland. But there are one or two other man-made “lakes”; the Lake of the Hirsel being an example. There are also numerous lochs called “Water”, particularly in the Northern Isles, e.g. Roer Water on Shetland and Heldale Water on Orkney. These are not to be confused with similarly named rivers, particularly in the South of Scotland, e.g. Whiteadder Water and Blackadder Water.

Rather than me writing all 38,000 lochs or lakes it would be sensible for you to click on the link below.

Posted in Europe | 2 Comments

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2 Responses to “Virtual-tripping, invites you to the lochs in Scotland, U.K.”

  1. Nick
    2:35 am on May 14th, 2010

    Fantastic pictures.

  2. Mark
    1:42 pm on May 14th, 2010

    Thanks, Nick, I thought so to.

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    We are two brothers, traveling the world with Google Earth.

    Mark Ramsay, globetrotting from an armchair in England.

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