Loch of Aboyne
Encyclopedia
Loch of Aboyne is a freshwater loch
in Scotland
. An artificially-formed loch created within the policies of Aboyne Castle on Royal Deeside, the Loch of Aboyne lies 1¼ miles (2 km) northeast of Aboyne and 26 miles (42 km) west southwest of Aberdeen. Retained by an earthen dam constructed c.1834, this shallow loch also served as a reservoir for a nearby mill. During the winter months the loch has proven popular for curling and in more recent years has provided a home for the Aberdeen Water Ski Club, who were responsible for repairing the dam in the late 1980s. The loch supports other water-sports and provides a popular recreational fishery.
The southeastern part of the loch was designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in 1984, owing to its biological interest. It provides a valuable habitat for waterfowl and other birds, with Osprey regularly seen plucking fish from the water. It is also an important site for butterflies.
Aboyne Loch Caravan Park lies on a wooded peninsula which extends into the loch, while Aboyne Golf Club lies immediately to the southwest. The Lodge on the Loch health spa and Aboyne Loch Golf Centre, with its nine-hole course, is located on the north shore of 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...
in 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...
. An artificially-formed loch created within the policies of Aboyne Castle on Royal Deeside, the Loch of Aboyne lies 1¼ miles (2 km) northeast of Aboyne and 26 miles (42 km) west southwest of Aberdeen. Retained by an earthen dam constructed c.1834, this shallow loch also served as a reservoir for a nearby mill. During the winter months the loch has proven popular for curling and in more recent years has provided a home for the Aberdeen Water Ski Club, who were responsible for repairing the dam in the late 1980s. The loch supports other water-sports and provides a popular recreational fishery.
The southeastern part of the loch was designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in 1984, owing to its biological interest. It provides a valuable habitat for waterfowl and other birds, with Osprey regularly seen plucking fish from the water. It is also an important site for butterflies.
Aboyne Loch Caravan Park lies on a wooded peninsula which extends into the loch, while Aboyne Golf Club lies immediately to the southwest. The Lodge on the Loch health spa and Aboyne Loch Golf Centre, with its nine-hole course, is located on the north shore of the loch.