Loch Rannoch
Encyclopedia
Loch Rannoch is a large body of fresh water in Perth and Kinross
, Scotland
.
The loch
is over 9 miles (14.5 km) long in a west-east direction with an average width of about 1090 yards (996.7 m). The River Tummel
begins at its eastern end. The Tay Forest Park lies along its southern shore. The wild Rannoch Moor
extends to the west of the loch and used to be part of the Caledonian Forest
that stretched across much of Northern Scotland. This is proven in part by the presence of Scots Pine
stumps preserved in the bog
gy areas of the moor, and pollen
records from peat
cores.
The loch and surrounding areas have suffered from extensive deforestation
and plantation of alien species. These practices have given rise to sections of dense tree plantations alternating with deforested areas.
The loch and surrounding area does, however, offer good sport fishing
and walking. The small village of Kinloch Rannoch
lies at the eastern end of the loch, and a crannog
(an ancient artificial island) with a folly on it can be found near its western end. Loch Rannoch was also used as a fictional racetrack in the videogame TOCA Race Driver 2.
Perth and Kinross
Perth and Kinross is one of 32 council areas in Scotland, and a Lieutenancy Area. It borders onto the Aberdeenshire, Angus, Dundee City, Fife, Clackmannanshire, Stirling, Argyll and Bute and Highland council areas. Perth is the administrative centre...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.
The loch
Loch
Loch is the Irish and Scottish Gaelic word for a lake or a sea inlet. It has been anglicised as lough, although this is pronounced the same way as loch. Some lochs could also be called a firth, fjord, estuary, strait or bay...
is over 9 miles (14.5 km) long in a west-east direction with an average width of about 1090 yards (996.7 m). The River Tummel
River Tummel
The River Tummel is a river in Perth and Kinross, Scotland. Discharging from Loch Rannoch, it flows east to a point near the Falls of Tummel, where it bends to the southeast, a direction which it maintains until it falls into the River Tay, just below Logierait, after a course of from its source...
begins at its eastern end. The Tay Forest Park lies along its southern shore. The wild Rannoch Moor
Rannoch Moor
Rannoch Moor is a large expanse of around 50 square miles of boggy moorland to the west of Loch Rannoch, in Perth and Kinross and Lochaber, Highland, partly northern Argyll and Bute, Scotland...
extends to the west of the loch and used to be part of the Caledonian Forest
Caledonian Forest
The Caledonian Forest is the name of a type of woodland that once covered vast areas of Scotland. Today, however, only 1% of the original forest survives, covering in 84 locations. The forests are home to a wide variety of wildlife, much of which is not found elsewhere in the British...
that stretched across much of Northern Scotland. This is proven in part by the presence of Scots Pine
Scots Pine
Pinus sylvestris, commonly known as the Scots Pine, is a species of pine native to Europe and Asia, ranging from Scotland, Ireland and Portugal in the west, east to eastern Siberia, south to the Caucasus Mountains, and as far north as well inside the Arctic Circle in Scandinavia...
stumps preserved in the bog
Bog
A bog, quagmire or mire is a wetland that accumulates acidic peat, a deposit of dead plant material—often mosses or, in Arctic climates, lichens....
gy areas of the moor, and pollen
Pollen
Pollen is a fine to coarse powder containing the microgametophytes of seed plants, which produce the male gametes . Pollen grains have a hard coat that protects the sperm cells during the process of their movement from the stamens to the pistil of flowering plants or from the male cone to the...
records from peat
Peat
Peat is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation matter or histosol. Peat forms in wetland bogs, moors, muskegs, pocosins, mires, and peat swamp forests. Peat is harvested as an important source of fuel in certain parts of the world...
cores.
The loch and surrounding areas have suffered from extensive deforestation
Deforestation
Deforestation is the removal of a forest or stand of trees where the land is thereafter converted to a nonforest use. Examples of deforestation include conversion of forestland to farms, ranches, or urban use....
and plantation of alien species. These practices have given rise to sections of dense tree plantations alternating with deforested areas.
The loch and surrounding area does, however, offer good sport fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
and walking. The small village of Kinloch Rannoch
Kinloch Rannoch
Kinloch Rannoch is a village in Perth and Kinross, Scotland, at the eastern end of Loch Rannoch, 18 miles west of Pitlochry, on the banks of the River Tummel.The village is a tourist and outdoor pursuits centre...
lies at the eastern end of the loch, and a crannog
Crannog
A crannog is typically a partially or entirely artificial island, usually built in lakes, rivers and estuarine waters of Scotland and Ireland. Crannogs were used as dwellings over five millennia from the European Neolithic Period, to as late as the 17th/early 18th century although in Scotland,...
(an ancient artificial island) with a folly on it can be found near its western end. Loch Rannoch was also used as a fictional racetrack in the videogame TOCA Race Driver 2.