Lochnagar - United Kingdom

The loch lies at an altitude of 788 m in the centre of the granitic massif which comprises much of Balmoral Forest in Aberdeenshire. Lochnagar is a corrie loch and lies below a north-east facing steep backwall which rises to the summit of the same name. The loch is pear-shaped and occupies an area of 9.9 ha. No large inflows feed the loch and drainage is primarily from small seepage channels. The loch drains to the north east through a series of small pools to the Lochnagar Burn which feeds the Gelder Burn, a south bank tributary of the River Dee. Snow generally occupies the catchment to a varying extent between November and May and a significant snow field accumulates in the main winter period. Snow-melt therefore comprises a major input to the loch. Unlike other sites in the Network, Lochnagar regularly freezes each winter. The bathymetry of the loch floor slopes quite sharply to a deep basin. The deepest point, at 24 m, is offset from the centre of the loch towards the backwall. The loch is deep for its area with a mean depth of 8.4 m.