Loch Skeen

A historical perspective, drawn from the Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland: A Survey of Scottish Topography, Statistical, Biographical and Historical, edited by Francis H. Groome and originally published in parts by Thomas C. Jack, Grange Publishing Works, Edinburgh between 1882 and 1885.

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Skene, Loch, a dark and lonely lake in the NE of Moffat parish, N Dumfriesshire, ¾ mile W of the meeting-point of the counties of Dumfries, Selkirk, and Peebles, 11/8 mile W of the source of the Yarrow, and 11¼ miles NNE of the town of Moffat. Lying 1680 feet above sea-level, it has an utmost length and breadth of 6 an furlongs, and is of unknown depth. Its basin is mossy, bleak, and wild, White Coomb (2695 feet) rising to the S, and Lochcraig Head (2625) to the N. Loch Skene affords good sport to the fisherman, its trout running 2 or 3 to the lb., and 12 to 18 lbs. being a fair day's catch. The stream by which the lake discharges its superfluent waters to the river Moffat forms the magnificent cascade called the Grey Mare's Tail. According to a paper read by Mr Ralph Richardson to the Edinburgh Geological Society on 3 Feb. 1881, a glacier once moved down towards Moffatdale, following the existing drainage line, viz., the courses of Midlaw and Tail Burns. The northern lateral moraine of this glacier-now represented only by mounds-acted as a barrier to the water flowing from the N, and thus Loch Skene was formed.—Ord. Sur., sh. 16, 1864.

An accompanying 19th C. Ordnance Survey map is available, or use the map tab to the right of this page.

Note: This text has been made available using a process of scanning and optical character recognition. Despite manual checking, some typographical errors may remain. Please remember this description dates from the 1880s; names may have changed, administrative divisions will certainly be different and there are known to be occasional errors of fact in the original text, which we have not corrected because we wish to maintain its integrity. This information is provided subject to our standard disclaimer

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