Snipe Loch

Snipe Loch

Snipe Loch or Loch Snipe is a freshwater loch in a low-lying area next to Clocaird Farm in the Parish of Coylton in Ayrshire. The loch lies to the north of Martnaham Loch, five miles east of Ayr and close to the B742 road. It is a relatively small loch, 525 feet long and 160 feet wide.

• Location map: 55°25’26"N, 4°33’9"W
• Streetmap: NS385173

The name of the loch might appropriately refer to the bird of that name, the snipe (Lymnocryptes minimus) but Scots the word can refer to a featureless place, lacking significant characteristics; something long and thin, or a boggy place. In Scots the bird is variously known as a "bluiter wheep, earn-bleater, heather-bleat, mire-snipe, or moss-bleater."

Nearby Loch Fergus and Martnaham Loch are larger and have clear defining features such as castles, islands and so forth.

History

Snipe Loch and Cloncaird Farm

Snipe Loch is a post-glacial 'Kettle Hole' fed by the outflow from Loch Fergus, its own outflow running into Martnaham Loch. The early Ordnance Survey maps show a sluice on the outflow, allowing the water level to be controlled. The loch was fed by springs situated near the lane at Cloncaird Farm. These early maps show an arm of the loch running almost as far as the lane to old Glencaird.

The farm was known as Glencaird on the early OS maps and Old Glencaird id now marked as Cloncaird Cottages.

Snipe Loch and fishing platforms

Leisure use

The loch is a popular angling loch and is a bird watching site. It is stocked with rainbow trout and also contains perch. pike, and eels, and are frequented by wild-duck, teal, and widgeon. Nearly half of the loch shore is dominated by deciduous woodland.

Outside links

("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Snipe Loch)

• Snipe Fishing Loch

References

• Love, Dane: 'Ayrshire: Discovering a County' (Fort Publishing, 2003) ISBN 0-9544461-1-9.