Loch Meig (Scottish Gaelic: Loch Mìg) is a freshwater loch in Easter Ross, Scotland, 8.1 kilometres (5.0 mi) west of Contin.
| Loch Meig | |
|---|---|
| Scottish Gaelic: Loch Mìg | |
 The loch from its east shore, with Meig Dam on the right | |
  Loch Meig | |
| Location | Easter Ross, Scotland |
| Coordinates | 57°33′45.2″N 4°44′22.9″W / 57.562556°N 4.739694°W |
| Type | loch |
| Primary inflows | River Meig |
| Primary outflows | River Meig |
| Basin countries | Scotland |
| Max. length | 2.55 km (1.58 mi) |
| Max. width | 0.386 km (0.240 mi) |
| Surface area | 0.5 km2 (0.19 sq mi) |
| Surface elevation | 85 m (279 ft) |
Situated on the River Meig, the loch is a manmade reservoir formed from the construction of the Meig Dam in 1957. This was part of a series of post-war infrastructure projects led by the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board (NoSHEB).[1]
Loch Meig has large brown trout and perch populations, making it a popular choice for fly fishers. The local angling club has helped to boost trout stocks by introducing several hundred fish a year. The fishing season runs from April 1st to September 30th.[1]
Today, the loch is mostly surrounded by timber plantations.[2] However, several sites of historic interest sit on its north and south shores, including ruined farmsteads and sheepdips. The building of the Meig Dam caused many ruins to disappear underwater.[3]
The name of the loch and its parent river derives from an Old Gaelic root, minc, with cognates in Latin, Old Welsh, and Old English. It roughly translates to "pouring forth".[4]
Alongside Loch Achonachie and Loch Garve, Loch Meig was the site of a 2018 combined SEPA/University of Glasgow study on the behaviour and movement of salmon smolts through impounded lakes.[5]
References
edit- ^ a b "Conon Fishing | Loch Meig". www.cononfishing.com. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
- ^ "Loch Meig - Loch Achonachie Angling Club". www.highlandfishing.net. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
- ^ Marshall, Meryl (2009). "A Project to Identify, Survey and Record Archaeological Remains in Strathconon, Ross-shire" (PDF).
- ^ "Contin Parish Place Names ⋆ Ross and Cromarty Heritage". Ross and Cromarty Heritage. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
- ^ Orrell, Danielle (August 2018). "Survival and movement behaviour of Atlantic salmon smolts (Salmo salar L.) migrating through impounded lakes and natural standing waters" (PDF). SEPA.