Loch Garry

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Loch Garry
Looking west from the lookout on the A87
Location	Scotland
Coordinates	57°05′N 4°55′WCoordinates: 57°05′N 4°55′W
Basin countries	United Kingdom
Max. length	11 km

Loch Garry, (Scottish Gaelic: Loch Garadh), is 25 km north of Fort William, Lochaber, Scotland, and is 11 km long and 50 m deep. It is fed by waters from Loch Quoich 10km upstream on the River Garry, and drains into Loch Oich in the Great Glen just 5 km downstream. Loch Garry is much photographed from the A87 for its romantic setting and also because a quirk of perspective makes it appear like a map of Scotland.

Both lochs have been dammed for hydro-electric, the dam on Loch Quoich being the largest rockfill dam in Scotland at 320m long and 38m high. Water is fed by tunnel to the two power stations each producing 20MW, and the scheme was completed in 1962.

The Glen used to be home of the Clan MacDonnell of Glengarry, but since the Highland Clearances the population has been reduced to a handful of estates. The main activities are deerstalking and forestry, with little tourism apart from munro-baggers seeking some spectacularly remote mountains at the head of the glen. The lonely road along the north side of Loch Garry continues past Loch Quoich to Kinlochhourn from where a footpath continues to Knoydart.

There is also a small Loch Garry near the Pass of Drumochter in the upper reaches of the Tay Basin. The River Garry leaving this loch flows down another Glen Garry through Killiecrankie to join the River Tummel near Pitlochry.

[edit] External links

• Photo of Loch Garry

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