Loch Ore is a

loch ''Loch'' ( ) is a word meaning "lake" or "inlet, sea inlet" in Scottish Gaelic, Scottish and Irish Gaelic, subsequently borrowed into English. In Irish contexts, it often appears in the anglicized form "lough". A small loch is sometimes calle ...

situated in

Fife Fife ( , ; ; ) is a council areas of Scotland, council area and lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area in Scotland. A peninsula, it is bordered by the Firth of Tay to the north, the North Sea to the east, the Firth of Forth to the s ...

, Scotland. It forms the core of Lochore Meadows Country Park. It is used mainly for leisure purposes, especially

yachting Yachting is recreational boating activities using medium/large-sized boats or small ships collectively called yachts. Yachting is distinguished from other forms of boating mainly by the priority focus on comfort and luxury, the dependence on ma ...

, although the uneven depth can make speed boating problematic. The Roman General Agricola held winter quarters in A.D.83 on the edge of Loch Ore, soon after his invasion of Britain and before proceeding to meet

Calgacus According to Tacitus, Calgacus (sometimes Calgacos or Galgacus) was a chieftain of the Caledonian Confederacy who fought the Roman army of Gnaeus Julius Agricola at the Battle of Mons Graupius in northern Scotland in AD 83 or 84. His name can ...

at the battle of Mons Graupius. The original loch was drained in the 1790s when the landowner, Captain Park, attempted to improve the estate and extend cultivation. The project was not a success and the land formerly occupied by the loch remained boggy and difficult to exploit commercially. The loch gradually returned in the mid 20th century, during the period when Lochore Meadows was a coal mine, and the mineral railway serving the pithead became an embankment surrounded by water. The return of the loch was due to subsidence caused by mining, and the 'new' loch occupies a different site from the original one. The loch is now stabilised but its depth still fluctuates. The islands in the loch are the remains of the former railway embankment. The loch is the training site of many sports teams, including the University of St Andrews Boat Club. The loch holds many events, such as the annual Scottish Open Water Championships where the swimmers compete in a 5 km, 2 km and 4×1 km relay swim, and Saints Regatta in September, run by the students of the University of St Andrews Boat Club.

References

Ore Ore is natural rock or sediment that contains one or more valuable minerals, typically including metals, concentrated above background levels, and that is economically viable to mine and process. The grade of ore refers to the concentration ...

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See also

References