Loch Doon
Loch Doon is a freshwater loch in the Carrick district of Ayrshire. The River Doon issues from its northern end, while the loch itself receives waters from Loch Enoch in the Galloway Hills.
In the 13th century, the loch was a site of Balloch Castle, owned by the Earls of Carrick. During the wars wity Edward I of England, the castle was held by one Gille Brighde, Sir Gilbert de Carrick, a native Carrick nobleman, who surrendered it to the English, though it was soon seized by the Scots. In the 15th century, the castle was frequently in the hands of the Kennedy Clan, although it was briefly in the hands of the Maclellans (backed by William Douglas, 8th Earl of Douglas) after a siege in 1446.
The castle was destroyed in the 16th century by King James V as part of a general policy of reducing the power of the barons.
Dammed loch
The loch was dammed in the 1930s, raising the water some 27 feet, in order to provide seasonal storage for the Galloway hydro-electric power scheme. As a reservoir, Loch Doon has an effective capacity of over 18,037,471,000 gallons. When rainfall is plentiful, water is diverted to the loch from the Water of Deugh through a tunnel system. When water is required for power generation, water is released at Drumjohn to feed Kendoon power reservoir, the first in a series of generating stations and reservoirs on the Water of Ken.
During the construction of the scheme, the ruins of the castle were moved from an island in the Loch to the shore to avoid the rising water.
Outside links
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("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Loch Doon) |
