This list of lochs in Scotland includes the majority of bodies of standing freshwater named as lochs but only a small selection of the generally smaller, and very numerous, lochans. This list does not currently include the reservoirs of Scotland except where these are modifications of pre-existing lochs and retain the name "loch" or "lochan".
It has been estimated that there are at least 31,460 freshwater lochs (including lochans) in Scotland, and more than 7,500 in the Western Isles alone."Botanical survey of Scottish freshwater lochs" SNH Information and Advisory Note Number 4. Retrieved 1 January 2010. Whilst lochs are widespread throughout the country, they are most numerous within the Scottish Highlands and in particular in the former counties of Caithness, Sutherland and Ross and Cromarty. The majority of the larger lochs are linear in form; their distribution through the West Highlands reflects their origin in the glacial overdeepening of the straths and glens they now occupy.
Loch is a Scottish Gaelic word for a lake or fjord (cognate with the Irish Gaelic loch, which is anglicised as lough and with the older Welsh word for a lake, llwch) that has been borrowed by Scots and Scottish English to apply to such bodies of water, especially those in Scotland. Whilst "loch" or "lochan" is by far the most widespread name for bodies of standing water in Scotland, a number of other terms exist. The Lake of Menteith is the only natural body of freshwater called a "lake" in Scotland, (although it is also known as Loch Innis Mo Cholmaig in Gaelic) and there are one or two other man-made "lakes", the Lake of the Hirsel being an example. Numerous lochs are called "water", particularly in the Northern Isles, e.g. Roer Water in Shetland and Heldale Water in Orkney. These are not to be confused with similarly named rivers, particularly in the south of Scotland, e.g. Yarrow Water and Blackadder Water.
Largest and deepest lochs
This table includes the twelve largest lochs by volume, area and length as listed by Murray and Pullar (1910).The 13 lochs listed include the 12 largest in these categories. Loch Treig and Loch Glass are listed as the 9th and 12th deepest respectively.This was not an exhaustive survey, and several of the larger lochs in the Outer Hebrides were not included. However it is highly unlikely any would appear in this tabulation, were full data to be available. Loch Langavat is listed as the 14th longest and 19th largest by area. For Loch of Harray see main text. The volume of water in Loch Ness is nearly double that in all the lakes of England and Wales combined. Murray and Pullar also note that the mean depth of Loch Ness is 57.4% of the maximum depth – higher than in any other large deep loch, with Loch Avich coming closest at 52.4%.Murray and Pullar (1910) pp.381–385, Volume II, Part II. National Library of Scotland. Retrieved 2 January 2010. Lochs Maree, Shiel and Ness are recorded as being the narrowest of the large lochs in relation to their length.Murray and Pullar (1910) p.211, Volume II, Part II. National Library of Scotland. Retrieved 2 January 2010.
LochVolumeAreaLengthMax. depthMean depthSource for all quantities is the same unless otherwise stated.(km3)(mi3)(km2)(mi2)(km)(mi)(m)(ft)(m)(ft)Loch NessLoch Lomond Murray and Pullar (1910) "Lochs of the Clyde Basin" Page 262, Volume II, Part II. National Library of Scotland. Retrieved 2 January 2010.Loch Morar Murray and Pullar (1910) Page 197, Volume II, Part II. National Library of Scotland. Retrieved 2 January 2010. Loch Tay Murray and Pullar (1910) Page 80, Volume II, Part II. National Library of Scotland. Retrieved 2 January 2010.Loch Awe Murray and Pullar (1910) Page 270, Volume II, Part II. National Library of Scotland. Retrieved 2 January 2010.Loch Maree Loch Ericht Loch Lochy Murray and Pullar (1910) Page 356, Volume II, Part II. National Library of Scotland. Retrieved 2 January 2010.Loch Rannoch Murray and Pullar (1910) "Lochs of the Tay Basin" Pages 68–69, Volume II, Part II. National Library of Scotland. Retrieved 2 January 2010.Loch Shiel Murray and Pullar (1910) Pages 241–42, Volume II, Part II. National Library of Scotland. Retrieved 2 January 2010.Loch Katrine Murray and Pullar (1910) "Lochs of the Forth Basin" Pages 1–2, Volume II, Part II. National Library of Scotland. Retrieved 2 January 2010. Loch Arkaig Murray and Pullar (1910) Page 359, Volume II, Part II. National Library of Scotland. Retrieved 2 January 2010. Loch Shin Murray and Pullar (1910) Pages 293–94, Volume II, Part II. National Library of Scotland. Retrieved 2 January 2010.
Neither the Loch of Stenness nor the Loch of Harray on Mainland Orkney is large enough to appear in the above table (Loch of Harray is 16th by area) but at higher stages of the tide they are connected to one another and to the marine waters of Hoy Sound. The former is the largest brackish lagoon in the UK"Loch of Stennes". JNCC. Retrieved 19 June 2011. and the latter, whilst predominantly freshwater, does have a transition zone in the vicinity of the Bridge of Brodgar where the two are connected."Lochs of Harray and Stenness Site of Special Scientific Interest" Midas 1083. SNH The two lochs together cover an area of but have a volume of only as they are so shallow; Loch of Stenness has a maximum depth of . Although flow between the two lochs and the sea can be observed, the water levels only change slightly with the movements of the tide.Murray and Pullar (1910) Pages 224–25, Volume II, Part II. National Library of Scotland. Retrieved 19 June 2011. Murray and Pullar provide a lower estimate of the combined area.
Mainland In reaching an alphabetically arranged list, the words "loch" and "lochan" have been ignored, as have articles and prepositions in both Gaelic (a', an, an t-, na, na h-, nam, nan etc.) and English (of, the etc.). Those that have been converted to reservoirs for water supply or in association with hydroelectric projects and whose levels have been artificially raised by the construction of dams or barrages are annotated as reservoir.
A Loch A'an (also known as Loch Avon, Cairngorms) Loch of Aboyne (Aberdeenshire) Loch Achaidh na h-Inich (near Plockton, Lochalsh) Loch Achall (east of Ullapool) Loch Achanalt (Wester Ross) Loch Achilty (near Contin) Loch Achnacloich (north of Alness, Easter Ross) Loch Achnamoine (west of Kinbrace, Sutherland) Loch Achonachie (Strathconon) (reservoir) Loch Achray (Stirling) Achridigill Loch (southeast of Strathy, Sutherland) Loch Achtriochtan (Glen Coe) Loch an Add (Argyll and Bute) (reservoir) Loch Affric (Glen Affric) Lochan na h-Achlaise (Rannoch Moor) Loch Ailsh (Glen Oykel, Sutherland) Loch Ainme na Gaibhre (near Dornie) Loch na h-Airde Bige (near Poolewe, Wester Ross) Loch Airigh na Beinne, Assynt (southwest of Unapool, Sutherland) Loch Airigh na Beinne, Cape Wrath (west of Kyle of Durness, Sutherland) Loch Airigh an Eilein (west of Loch Ewe, Wester Ross) Loch Airigh Mhic Criadh (east of Gairloch, Wester Ross) Loch Airigh a' Phuill (east of Gairloch, Wester Ross) Loch na h-Airigh Sléibhe (east of Scourie, Sutherland) Loch Aisir Mòr (Oldshoremore, Sutherland) Akermoor Loch (Scottish Borders) Loch Akran (Flow Country, Caithness) Aldinna Loch (Ayrshire) Alemoor Loch (Scottish Borders) (reservoir) Loch Allt na h-Airbe (also known as Loch Yucal, northwest of Kylesku, Sutherland) Loch Allt Eoin Thòmais (west of Loch Ewe, Wester Ross) Loch an Alltan Fheàrna (Sutherland) Loch Alvie (Speyside) Loch nan Amhaichean (Easter Ross) Loch Anna (near Dornie) Antermony Loch (East Dunbartonshire) Approach Loch (South Ayrshire) Loch Arail (Argyll and Bute) Loch Ard (Stirling) Loch Ard a' Phuill (Moidart) Loch Ardinning (Stirling) Loch Arichlinie (near Kinbrace, Sutherland) Loch Arienas (Morvern) Loch Arkaig (Lochaber) Loch Arklet (Stirlingshire) (reservoir) Loch Arnicle (Kintyre) Loch Arthur (Dumfries and Galloway) Loch Ascaig (south of Kinbrace, Sutherland) Asgog Loch (Argyll and Bute) Ashgrove Loch (aka Stevenston Loch) (Ayrshire) Loch Ashie (northeast of Loch Ness) Loch Aslaich (Balmacaan Forest, west of Loch Ness) Loch an Aslaird (north of Ben Hee, Sutherland) Loch Assynt (Sutherland) Aucha Lochy (Kintyre) Auchenreoch Loch (Dumfries and Galloway) Auchintaple Loch (Glen Isla) Loch Avich (Argyll and Bute) Loch Avon (also known as Loch A'an) (Cairngorms) Loch Awe, Argyll and Bute Loch Awe (Inchnadamph, Sutherland)
B __NOTOC__
Loch Bà (Isle of Mull) Loch Bà (Rannoch Moor) Loch na Bà (east of Aultbea, Wester Ross) Loch Bad na h-Achlaise (northeast of Ullapool) Loch Bad na h-Achlaise (Coigach, Wester Ross) Loch Bad na h-Achlaise (near Port Henderson, Wester Ross) Loch Bad a' Bhàthaich (Easter Ross) Loch Bad a' Chreamh (west of Poolewe, Wester Ross) Loch Bad a' Chròtha (near Badachro, Wester Ross) Loch Bad a' Ghaill (Coigach, Wester Ross) Loch Bad na Goibhre (east of Lochinver, Sutherland) Loch Bad Leabhraidh (Wester Ross) Loch Bad na Muirichinn (south of Lochinver, Sutherland) Loch Bad an t Sean-tighe (Sutherland) Loch Bad an t-Seabhaig (Laxford Bridge, Sutherland) Loch Bad an Sgalaig (southeast of Gairloch, Wester Ross) (reservoir) Loch Bad an t-Sluic (Assynt, Sutherland) Loch Bad na h-Earba (northwest of Brora, Sutherland) Loch Badaidh na Meana (west of Strath Halladale, Sutherland) Loch Badanloch (west of Kinbrace, Sutherland) (contiguous with Loch nan Clàr) Loch Baile Mhic Chailein (Argyll and Bute) Loch na Bairness (Moidart) Ballachuan Loch (Argyll and Bute) Balgavies Loch (Angus) Ballochling Loch (Ayrshire) Banton Loch (North Lanarkshire) Bardowie Loch (East Dunbartonshire) Barean Loch (Dumfries and Galloway) Barfad Loch (Dumfries and Galloway) Bargatton Loch (Dumfries and Galloway) Barhapple Loch (Dumfries and Galloway) Barlockhart Loch (Dumfries and Galloway) Loch Barnluasgan (Argyll and Bute) Barnshean Loch, (Ayrshire) Barr Loch (Renfrewshire) Barscobe Loch (Dumfries and Galloway) Bayfield Loch (Easter Ross) Loch Bealach a' Bhuirich (south of Loch Glencoul, Sutherland) Loch Bealach Cùlaidh (Wyvis Forest) Loch Bealach Ghearran (Argyll and Bute) Loch Bealach a' Mhadaidh (southeast of Loch Glencoul, Sutherland) Loch Bealach na Sgeulachd (south of Loch Eriboll, Sutherland) Loch Beanie (Glenshee) Loch Beannach (north of Lairg, Sutherland) (one of three in same area) Loch Beannach (north of Strath Brora, Sutherland) (one of three in same area) Loch Beannach (north of Strath Brora, Sutherland) (one of three in same area) Loch Beannach, Assynt (west of Loch Assynt, Sutherland) Lochan Beannach Beag (Letterewe Forest, Wester Ross) Lochan Beannach Mór (Letterewe Forest, Wester Ross) Loch Beannacharan (Glen Strathfarrar, Inverness-shire) Loch Beannacharain or Loch Beannachan, situated close to Inverchoran Lochan na Bearta (Fisherfield Forest, Wester Ross) Loch Beinn a' Mheadhoin (Loch Benevian) (Inverness-shire) (reservoir) Loch Beinn Dearg (Fisherfield Forest, Wester Ross) Loch na Beinne Baine (north of Glen Moriston, Inverness-shire) Loch na Beinne Mòire (south of Cannich, Inverness-shire) Loch na Beinne Reidhe (Assynt, Sutherland) Loch Beinn Deirg (northeast of Ullapool) Loch na Beiste (Rubha Mor, Wester Ross) Loch Belivat (south of Nairn) Belston Loch (Ayrshire) Loch Ben Harrald (southwest of Altnaharra, Sutherland) Loch Benachally (Perth and Kinross) (reservoir) Bengairn Loch (Dumfries and Galloway) Bennan Loch (East Renfrewshire) (reservoir) Loch Beoraid (Lochaber) Bertha Loch (Perth and Kinross) Loch Bhac (Perth and Kinross) Loch Bhad Ghaineamhaich (north of Strathconon) Loch a' Bhadaidh Daraich (Scourie, Sutherland) Loch a' Bhaid Ghainmheich (south of Greenstone Point, Wester Ross) Loch a' Bhaid-luachraich (southeast of Aultbea, Wester Ross) Loch a Bhàillidh (Argyll and Bute) Loch a' Bhainne (northwest of Invergarry, Great Glen) Loch a' Bhàna (Glencannich, Inverness-shire) Loch a' Bhealaich (Lochalsh) Loch a' Bhealaich (Sutherland) Loch a' Bhealaich (Shieldaig Forest, Wester Ross)