Fionn Loch is a small irregular-shaped shallow freshwater loch, on a north-west to south-east orientation that is located 3 miles southeast of
Lochinver
Lochinver (''Loch an Inbhir'' in Scottish Gaelic, Gaelic) is a village at the head of the sea loch Loch Inver, on the coast in the Assynt district of Sutherland, Scottish Highlands, Highland, Scotland. A few miles north-east is Loch Assynt which ...
in the
Assynt
Assynt ( or ) is a sparsely populated area in the south-west of Sutherland, lying north of Ullapool on the west coast of Scotland. Assynt is known for its landscape and its remarkable mountains, which have led to the area, along with neighbour ...
district of
Sutherland
Sutherland () is a Counties of Scotland, historic county, registration county and lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area in the Scottish Highlands, Highlands of Scotland. The name dates from the Scandinavian Scotland, Viking era when t ...
in Scotland. The loch is located in an area known as the ''Assynt-Coigach
National Scenic Area'', one of 40 such areas in Scotland.
Geography
Fionn Loch is part of the Fionn Loch drainage system and is fed with water from River Ledbeg which drains
Loch Urigill, due south-by-south east and
Loch Borralan, to the east of Urigill.
directly south, drains through Uidh Fheàrna, a slow-moving channel into Fionn Loch.
The drainage system was once a large lake, Loch Suilven that is now made up of
Cam Loch
Cam Loch (the Crooked Loch) is one of a number of water supply sources for the Crinan Canal. The impounding reservoir lies to the south of the canal and about 3 kilometres west of Lochgilphead. It has an earthwork dam 8.5 metres high, with record ...
, Veyatie and Fionn Loch.
A vast number of lochs and lochans surround Fionn Loch, the biggest is the large irregular-shaped
Loch Sionascaig along with
Inverpolly Forest directly south.
Overlooking the loch to the north-west is the imposing hulk of the mountains of
Suilven at 731 meters. Almost directly south of the loch is
Cùl Mòr at 849m and
Drumrunie Forest. To the far north-west is
Drumrunie Forest.
Walking
Fionn Loch is remote and can be reached from a route that starts from Inverkirkaig, this route reaches the bealach from the south, passing Kirkaig Falls on the way.
Gallery
File:Fionn Loch - geograph.org.uk - 663845.jpg, Fionn Loch looking towards Suilven.
File:Fionn Loch and Suilven - geograph.org.uk - 306837.jpg, Fionn Loch and Suilven Fionn Loch and the prominent hill of Suilven lie south east of the coastal village of Lochinver in the Assynt area
File:The start of the River Kirkaig - geograph.org.uk - 663841.jpg, The start of the River Kirkaig The outflow from Fionn Loch where the River Kirkaig commences. Suilven can be seen in the distance.
File:Falls of Kirkaig - geograph.org.uk - 759496.jpg, Falls of Kirkaig
References
{{Reflist
Freshwater lochs of Scotland
Kirkaig Basin
Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Scotland
Lochs of Sutherland