Loch Mullardoch
Encyclopedia
Loch Mullardoch is a major reservoir
in Glen Cannich
in the Northwest Highlands
of Scotland
. It was created by the damming in 1951 of the River Cannich just upstream of Mullardoch House, as part of the Affric-Beauly hydro-electric power scheme
. A car park at the southern end of the dam is the terminus of the public road up Glen Cannich. The reservoir extends for about 14km westwards up the glen to the point where the Abhainn a Choilich and Abhainn Sithidh burns drop down from the West Benula deer forest
.
Prior to the construction of the concrete dam, which is the largest in Scotland, the natural Loch Mullardoch stretched for some 7km along the floor of the glen as far west as Benula Lodge and Benula Old Lodge, the sites of both of which now lay beneath the reservoir's waters. The diminutive Lochan na Cloiche and the larger Loch Lingard were drowned as the reservoir filled.
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
in Glen Cannich
Glen Cannich
Glen Cannich is a long glen in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland and through which runs the River Cannich. Emerging from the reservoir of Loch Mullardoch, the river flows east to merge with the River Affric at the village of Cannich, their combined waters forming the River Glass.Downstream of...
in the Northwest Highlands
Northwest Highlands
The Northwest Highlands are the northern third of Scotland that is separated from the Grampian Mountains by the Great Glen . The region comprises , Assynt, Caithness and Sutherland. The Caledonian Canal, which extends from Loch Linnhe in the west, via Loch Ness to the Moray Firth in the north...
of 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...
. It was created by the damming in 1951 of the River Cannich just upstream of Mullardoch House, as part of the Affric-Beauly hydro-electric power scheme
Affric-Beauly hydro-electric power scheme
The Affric / Beauly hydro-electric power scheme for the generation of hydro-electric power is located in the western Highlands of Scotland. It is based around Glen Strathfarrar, Glen Cannich and Glen Affric, and Strathglass further downstream....
. A car park at the southern end of the dam is the terminus of the public road up Glen Cannich. The reservoir extends for about 14km westwards up the glen to the point where the Abhainn a Choilich and Abhainn Sithidh burns drop down from the West Benula deer forest
Deer forest
The deer forest is an institution and phenomenon peculiar to the Highlands of Scotland. It denotes a sporting estate which is kept and managed largely or solely for the purposes of maintaining a resident population of red deer for sporting purposes.Typically, deer forests are in hilly and...
.
Prior to the construction of the concrete dam, which is the largest in Scotland, the natural Loch Mullardoch stretched for some 7km along the floor of the glen as far west as Benula Lodge and Benula Old Lodge, the sites of both of which now lay beneath the reservoir's waters. The diminutive Lochan na Cloiche and the larger Loch Lingard were drowned as the reservoir filled.