Carcluie Loch
Encyclopedia
Carcluie Loch is a small freshwater loch in the South Ayrshire
Council Area, lying in a glacial Kettle Hole, Parish of Dalrymple
, Scotland
.
's map of circa 1600 shows Loch Luy and nearby the dwelling of Kar Cluy. In 1821 the farm was recorded as Kirklewy, but no loch shown. In 1832 Thomson's map shows a small loch at Carcluie. In the 1870s the OS map shows that the loch was roughly oval in shape, and of an extent of 0.709 hectares or 1.752 acres. The loch is fed by the Carcluie Burn and a burn running down the hill from the vicinity of the railway; the outflow runs down towards Broomberry.
, was pursuing a number of agricultural improvements on his extensive estates. Further drainage work may have taken place in the 1740s as part of the improvements undertaken to provide employment for Irish estate workers during the Irish potato famines of the 1740s and the mid 19th centuries. Many drainage schemes also date to the end of WWI when many soldiers returned en masse to civilian life.
once had 'pile-heads' in the water around it. A casual inspection did not reveal any supporting evidence. Smith gives the spelling as 'Carclui'. The island is no longer visible (2011), the SW end of the loch being entirely overgrown with reeds. Probing at the position of the island shown on the OS 1:10,000 map recorded that the natural deposits in this part of the loch to be over 2m deep. A 1993 investigation sees the site as possessing an island and not a crannog.
Situation
The loch was on the route of the old road from Straiton
to Kirkmichael and onto Dalrymple.
sp.) are present. The site is listed on the WEBS register of the Wetlands Birds Survey scheme. The loch is a Scottish Wildlife Trust
provisional wildlife site. The loch margins are dominated by rushes (Juncus sps) with willow scrub and a conifer plantation. Common House Martins (Delichon urbicum) use the loch and its margins as a feeding area until late September.
South Ayrshire
South Ayrshire is one of 32 council areas of Scotland, covering the southern part of Ayrshire. It borders onto East Ayrshire, North Ayrshire and Dumfries and Galloway....
Council Area, lying in a glacial Kettle Hole, Parish of Dalrymple
Dalrymple
Dalrymple may refer to:* HMS Dalrymple , frigate of the British Royal Navy* Dalrymple's sign, a medical condition of the eyes associated with goitre-Places:* Dalrymple, Queensland, the first inland town in northern Australia...
, 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...
.
The loch
Blaeu's map of circa 1654 taken from Timothy PontTimothy Pont
Timothy Pont was a Scottish topographer, the first to produce a detailed map of Scotland. Pont's maps are among the earliest surviving to show a European country in minute detail, from an actual survey.-Life:...
's map of circa 1600 shows Loch Luy and nearby the dwelling of Kar Cluy. In 1821 the farm was recorded as Kirklewy, but no loch shown. In 1832 Thomson's map shows a small loch at Carcluie. In the 1870s the OS map shows that the loch was roughly oval in shape, and of an extent of 0.709 hectares or 1.752 acres. The loch is fed by the Carcluie Burn and a burn running down the hill from the vicinity of the railway; the outflow runs down towards Broomberry.
Drainage
The loch's drainage may have begun in the early 18th century when Alexander Montgomerie, 10th Earl of EglintonAlexander Montgomerie, 10th Earl of Eglinton
Alexander Montgomerie, 10th Earl of Eglinton , was a Scottish peer.Eglinton was the son of the 9th Earl of Eglinton. His mother and third wife of the 9th Earl was Susanna Montgomery, Countess of Eglinton the renowned society beauty...
, was pursuing a number of agricultural improvements on his extensive estates. Further drainage work may have taken place in the 1740s as part of the improvements undertaken to provide employment for Irish estate workers during the Irish potato famines of the 1740s and the mid 19th centuries. Many drainage schemes also date to the end of WWI when many soldiers returned en masse to civilian life.
Island
Smith records that the former roughly circular island within the loch, having all the appearance of a crannogCrannog
A crannog is typically a partially or entirely artificial island, usually built in lakes, rivers and estuarine waters of Scotland and Ireland. Crannogs were used as dwellings over five millennia from the European Neolithic Period, to as late as the 17th/early 18th century although in Scotland,...
once had 'pile-heads' in the water around it. A casual inspection did not reveal any supporting evidence. Smith gives the spelling as 'Carclui'. The island is no longer visible (2011), the SW end of the loch being entirely overgrown with reeds. Probing at the position of the island shown on the OS 1:10,000 map recorded that the natural deposits in this part of the loch to be over 2m deep. A 1993 investigation sees the site as possessing an island and not a crannog.
Situation
The loch was on the route of the old road from Straiton
Straiton
Straiton is a village on the River Girvan in South Ayrshire in Scotland, mainly built in the 18th century, but with some recent housing.It was the main location for the film The Match, where two rival pubs played an annual football match as a challenge...
to Kirkmichael and onto Dalrymple.
Natural history
Extensive areas of reeds (PhragmitesPhragmites
Phragmites, the Common reed, is a large perennial grass found in wetlands throughout temperate and tropical regions of the world. Phragmites australis is sometimes regarded as the sole species of the genus Phragmites, though some botanists divide Phragmites australis into three or four species...
sp.) are present. The site is listed on the WEBS register of the Wetlands Birds Survey scheme. The loch is a Scottish Wildlife Trust
Scottish Wildlife Trust
The Scottish Wildlife Trust is a registered charity dedicated to conserving the wildlife and natural environment of Scotland.-Description:The Scottish Wildlife Trust has over 32,800 members...
provisional wildlife site. The loch margins are dominated by rushes (Juncus sps) with willow scrub and a conifer plantation. Common House Martins (Delichon urbicum) use the loch and its margins as a feeding area until late September.
See also
- Loch FergusLoch FergusLoch Fergus is a freshwater post-glacial 'Kettle Hole' sometimes recorded as Fergus Loch. It is quite visible and is situated in a low lying area close to the B742 road between the farms and dwellings of Trees, Lochfergus and Bowmanston in the Parish of Ayr, South Ayrshire, Scotland. The loch lies...
- Lindston Loch, South AyrshireLindston Loch, South AyrshireLindston Loch was a small freshwater loch situated within a glacial 'kettle hole.' The loch lies in the South Ayrshire Council Area, Parish of Dalrymple, Scotland.-The loch:...
- Martnaham LochMartnaham LochMartnaham Loch is a freshwater loch lying across the border between East and South Ayrshire Council Areas, 2km from Coylton, in the parishes of Coylton and Dalrymple, 3 miles from Ayr. The loch lies along an axis from north-east to south-west. The remains of a castle lie on a possibly artificial...
- Snipe LochSnipe LochSnipe Loch or Loch Snipe is a freshwater loch. It is situated in a low lying area close to the B742 road next to Clocaird Farm in the Parish of Coylton, East Ayrshire, Scotland...