| Loch Tummel | |
|---|---|
 The 'Queen's View' | |
  Loch Tummel Loch Rannoch shown within Perth and Kinross. | |
| Location | Perth and Kinross,Scotland |
| Coordinates | 56°42′39″N3°55′44″W / 56.7107°N 3.9290°W /56.7107; -3.9290 |
| Type | freshwaterloch |
| Basin countries | Scotland |
| Max. length | 11 km (7 mi)[1] |
| Max. width | 0.95 km (0.59 mi)[1] |
| Surface area | 579.1 ha (1,431 acres)[2] |
| Max. depth | 44 m (145 ft)[1] |
| Shore length1 | 27.2 km (16.9 mi)[2] |
| Surface elevation | 142 m (466 ft)[2] |
| 1 Shore length isnot a well-defined measure. | |
Loch Tummel (Scottish Gaelic:Loch Teimheil) is a long, narrowloch, seven kilometres (4+1⁄2 miles) northwest ofPitlochry in thecouncil area ofPerth and Kinross,Scotland. It is fed and drained by theRiver Tummel, which flows into theRiver Tay about 13 km (8 mi) south-east of the Clunie Dam at the loch's eastern end.[3][4][2]
The loch is traversed by roads to both north and south. Along the northern side the road is numbered as theB8019, and runs from thePass of Killiecrankie on theA9 in the east toTummel Bridge at the head of the loch. The road on the southern side is unclassified, and meets the A9 further south, near toPitlochry.[3]
The loch gives its name to theLoch TummelNational Scenic Area (NSA), one of 40 such areas in Scotland, which are defined so as to identify areas of exceptional scenery and to ensure its protection by restricting certain forms of development.[5] The Loch Tummel Lyon NSA covers 9,013 hectares (22,272 acres), all of which lies within Perth and Kinross.[6] The NSA covers the hills surrounding the loch, and extends along the River Tummel to also take in the area surrounding thePass of Killiecrankie on theRiver Garry.[7]
Loch Tummel is popular withanglers who fish forbrown trout andpike. Fishing is managed by the Loch Rannoch Conservation Association, who issue permits and control catches.[8] Loch Tummel Sailing Club is based at Foss on the south west shore of the loch.[9] The loch is also very popular with campers during the spring and summer.[1] The roads on either side of the loch both offer splendid views of the surrounding countryside,[1] especially from the well-known 'Queen's View' from the north shore, which was made famous byQueen Victoria in 1866. This viewpoint offers a magnificent vista over the loch withSchiehallion in the background. It is also claimed that the view was originally named afterQueen Isabel, wife ofRobert the Bruce, who is said to have hidden in the nearby woods after the Bruce's defeat at theBattle of Methven in 1306.[10][11]
Areas of forestry around Loch Tummel owned byForestry and Land Scotland (FLS) form part of theTay Forest Park, a network of FLS forests spread across theHighland parts ofPerthshire that are managed to provide walks and amenities for visitors.[10]
| Loch Tummel National Scenic Area | |
|---|---|
 A map showing the extent of the Loch Tummel National Scenic Area. | |
| Location | 56°42′40″N3°55′40″W / 56.71111°N 3.92778°W /56.71111; -3.92778 |
| Area | 90.1 km2 (34.8 sq mi)[6] |
| Established | 1981 |
| Governing body | NatureScot |
The River Tummel is atributary of theRiver Tay, and Loch Tummel is included as part of the River TaySpecial Area of Conservation. The designation notes the river system's importance forsalmon,otters,brook lampreys,river lampreys andsea lampreys.[12]Brown trout andpike are also present in the loch.[8]
The woods to the north of the loch are home to a number of protected species, includingcapercaillie,black grouse,red squirrel,pearl-bordered fritillary andjuniper.[13]
Loch Tummel became part of theTummel Hydro-Electric Power Scheme when the Clunie Dam was constructed byWimpey Construction at its eastern end in 1950,[14] raising the water level by 4.5 m (15 ft).[1] Prior to this the loch, which is now approximately 11 km (7 mi) long and just under 0 km (1 mi) wide was much smaller, being4.4 km (2+3⁄4 mi) long and0.8 km (1⁄2 mi) wide.[4]
Water from Loch Tummel is diverted toLoch Faskally, running via Clunie power station, which has a vertical head of 53 m (174 ft) and a total generating capacity of 61 MW. There is also a power station at Tummel Bridge at the western end of the loch that takes water from Dunalastair reservoir belowLoch Rannoch, and discharges into Loch Tummel: this station has a vertical head of 53 m (174 ft) and a total generating capacity of 34 MW.[15]
The northern side of the loch has many archeological sites, including anIron Agering fort, abandonedtownships,[13] and the remains ofPictish fortified villages.[1] This area also includes thestanding stones of Clachan Aoraidh, located at the head of Glen Fincastle in the Allean Forest.[16] Fincastle House, a 17th-century Category Alisted building, sits at the eastern end of the strath.[17]
The raising of the loch for hydroelectricity led to the drowning of an artificial island of a type known as acrannog lying off Port an Eilean on the northern side of the loch. The island is now 3 m underwater, and was investigated by the Scottish Trust for Underwater Archaeology and Perth & Kinross Heritage Trust in 2004. A well-made flagstone floor and a flight of steps that led down a distance of 2 m to the loch bed were found. Analysis of one of the timbers found on the site revealed that it dated from around 1840.[18]
Above the head of the loch, there are two bridges over theRiver Tummel at Tummel Bridge. The original humpbacked bridge was built byGeneral Wade in about 1734[19] as part of his construction of some 240 miles (390 km) of roads and 30 bridges in Scotland between 1725 and 1737.[20] A modern replacement alongside Wade's bridge carries the traffic fromAberfeldy on theB846 road.[3] The historicdrove road of theRoad to the Isles leaves Wade's military road at Tummel Bridge, from where it heads west intoLochaber,[21] and Tummel is one of the places mentioned in theScottish folk songnamed after the road.[22]
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain.
