Loch Ailsh is a freshwater loch in Sutherland, Scotland, located 2.6km northeast of the A837. It sits on the River Oykel among plantation woodland.
Loch Ailsh | |
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![]() Loch Ailsh from its south shore, with Ben More Assynt in the background | |
Location | Scottish Highlands |
Coordinates | 58°03′18″N 4°51′25″W / 58.05500°N 4.85694°W |
Primary inflows | River Oykel, Allt na Cailliche |
Primary outflows | River Oykel |
Basin countries | Scotland, United Kingdom |
Max. length | 1.46 km (0.91 mi) |
Max. width | 1.42 km (0.88 mi) |
Surface elevation | 150 m (490 ft) |
The loch's name likely derives from the same Scottish Gaelic root as Loch Alsh, Loch Aillse, meaning "foaming lake".
Benmore Lodge, a holiday cottage, sits on a sandy beach at the loch's northeast end.[1] A chambered cairn, dating from the Neolithic period, lies just south of the loch, on the west bank of the River Oykel.[2]
Loch Ailsh is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and one of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency's designated protected areas, meaning any fish caught on the loch must be returned. It is a key breeding site for the UK's population of black-throated diver.[3]
References
edit- ^ "Benmore Lodge - Assynt - Sutherland". Benmore Lodge Assynt Sutherland. Retrieved 2024-05-15.
- ^ "Loch Ailsh | Canmore". canmore.org.uk. Retrieved 2024-05-15.
- ^ "Rules & Regulations for Loch Fishing". Oykel Bridge Hotel. Retrieved 2024-05-15.