Lochan na h-Earba

Lochan na h-Earba

Lochan na h-Earba is a double loch to the south of Loch Laggan in Inverness-shire, close to the ancient districts of Lochaber and Badenoch. It is thought that the two lochs once formed a single loch, hence the single name, but became separated by the build up alluvial deposits from the Moy Burn, which now joins the short watercourse that connects the two lochs. Ordnance Survey maps of the area show a single name printed across both lochs.

The lochs occupy a narrow glen running south-west to north-east, and roughly parallel with Loch Laggan, from which they are separated by the Binnein Shuas range of hills. Two Munros, of Geal Charn and Creag Pitridh are the highest peaks of the hills to the south-east.

The lochs lie on the Ardverikie Estate. They have been used as the location for several film and television productions, most frequently appearing regularly in the BBC series Monarch of the Glen, which was largely filmed in and around the Laggan area. Scences from the film Mrs Brown and the television series Outlander have also been filmed here.

Both lochs were fully surveyed by the Bathymetrical Survey of the Fresh-Water Lochs of Scotland in 1902.

The west loch

The west loch sits an elevation of 1,152 feet, and is a mile and three-quarters long. It has a surface area of 263 acres, in which its maximum is 81 feet. The loch is fed by numerous small burns, with the most significant being those descending from Beinn a' Chlachair.

The east loch

Along the east loch

The east loch is fed chiefly by the outflow from the west loch, to which it is connected by a short watercourse. It is slightly lower than the west loch, with an elevation of 1,142 feet. It is the smaller of the two lochs, being just over a mile long and overspreading an area of 146 acres, in which it reaches a maximum depth of 69 feet.

Location

• Location map: 56°55’12"N, 4°29’20"W