Alemoor Loch
Encyclopedia
Alemoor Loch is a small reservoir
in the Scottish Borders
area of Scotland
. It is situated on the Ale Water
, 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) west of Hawick
. The loch
is approximately 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) long, and is divided in two by a causeway
which carries the B711 road.
In the 19th century, the loch was recorded as being round in shape, 0.4 kilometre (0.248549094659923 mi) across, and up to 55 metres (180.4 ft) deep. The loch was said to be the home of a "water-cow" or kelpie
, and another tradition told of a child being carried off by an eagle and dropped in to the loch. John Leyden
(1775–1811) mentioned the darker associations of the loch in his 1803 poem Scenes of Infancy.
In the 1960s a dam was constructed and the loch was enlarged to its present size. An existing farmhouse was not removed, and its chimney pots can be seen in when the water level is extremely low. The loch is now used for coarse fishing
, with the main species being pike
, perch
and roach
. The remains of a tower at Wester Alemoor, which had formerly stood by the loch, were destroyed by a new road before 1962. A large flint blade was discovered by the loch in 2003.
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 the Scottish Borders
Scottish Borders
The Scottish Borders is one of 32 local government council areas of Scotland. It is bordered by Dumfries and Galloway in the west, South Lanarkshire and West Lothian in the north west, City of Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian to the north; and the non-metropolitan counties of Northumberland...
area 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 is situated on the Ale Water
Ale Water
The Ale Water is a tributary of the River Teviot, in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland. It rises at Henwoodie Hill and flows through Alemoor Loch.It meets the Teviot south of the village of Ancrum, and it runs through Ashkirk and Lilliesleaf....
, 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) west of Hawick
Hawick
Hawick is a town in the Scottish Borders of south east Scotland. It is south-west of Jedburgh and south-southeast of Selkirk. It is one of the farthest towns from the sea in Scotland, in the heart of Teviotdale, and the biggest town in the former county of Roxburghshire. Hawick's architecture is...
. The loch
Loch
Loch is the Irish and Scottish Gaelic word for a lake or a sea inlet. It has been anglicised as lough, although this is pronounced the same way as loch. Some lochs could also be called a firth, fjord, estuary, strait or bay...
is approximately 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) long, and is divided in two by a causeway
Causeway
In modern usage, a causeway is a road or railway elevated, usually across a broad body of water or wetland.- Etymology :When first used, the word appeared in a form such as “causey way” making clear its derivation from the earlier form “causey”. This word seems to have come from the same source by...
which carries the B711 road.
In the 19th century, the loch was recorded as being round in shape, 0.4 kilometre (0.248549094659923 mi) across, and up to 55 metres (180.4 ft) deep. The loch was said to be the home of a "water-cow" or kelpie
Kelpie
The kelpie is a supernatural water horse from Celtic folklore that is believed to haunt the rivers and lochs of Scotland and Ireland; the name may be from Scottish Gaelic cailpeach or colpach "heifer, colt".-Description and behaviour:...
, and another tradition told of a child being carried off by an eagle and dropped in to the loch. John Leyden
John Leyden
John Leyden was a British orientalist.-Biography:Leyden was born at Denholm on the River Teviot, not far from Hawick. His father, a shepherd, had contrived to send him to Edinburgh University to study for the ministry...
(1775–1811) mentioned the darker associations of the loch in his 1803 poem Scenes of Infancy.
In the 1960s a dam was constructed and the loch was enlarged to its present size. An existing farmhouse was not removed, and its chimney pots can be seen in when the water level is extremely low. The loch is now used for coarse fishing
Coarse fishing
Coarse fishing is a term used in the United Kingdom and Ireland for angling for coarse fish, which are those types of freshwater fish other than game fish . The sport and the techniques used are particularly popular in the United Kingdom and mainland Europe.-History:The term "coarse fishing"...
, with the main species being pike
Esox
Esox is a genus of freshwater fish, the only living genus in the family Esocidae — the esocids which were endemic to North America, Europe and Eurasia during the Paleogene through present.The type species is E. lucius, the northern pike...
, perch
Perch
Perch is a common name for fish of the genus Perca, freshwater gamefish belonging to the family Percidae. The perch, of which there are three species in different geographical areas, lend their name to a large order of vertebrates: the Perciformes, from the Greek perke meaning spotted, and the...
and roach
Roach
-Animals:* Cockroaches* Roach , including** Certain members of family Cyprinidae** the genus Rutilus*** Common Roach ** the California Roach of the monotypic genus Hesperoleucus-Other:...
. The remains of a tower at Wester Alemoor, which had formerly stood by the loch, were destroyed by a new road before 1962. A large flint blade was discovered by the loch in 2003.