Loch Cuaich

Loch Cuaich lies in the Highland region, west of Loch Garry and about 40 kilometres northwest of Fort William. It is a loch and reservoir set in wild country, its name meaning ‘loch of the quaich’ in Scottish Gaelic. In 1896 it measured six miles long and three-quarters of a mile wide, belonging to Mrs Ellice of Glenquoich. Both Loch Cuaich and Loch Garry form part of the 19 MW Glen Garry hydroelectric scheme built in the 1950s and finished in 1962. A larger pumped-storage project now plans to use 11 per cent of Loch Cuaich’s water. The loch sits within the Moine Thrust Belt, where a fault line called the Loch Quoich Line runs for over 60 kilometres. Nearby, in 1980, the mineral johnsomervilleite was discovered for the first time. In November 2018 a landslide near Kinloch Hourn dislodged 9,000 tonnes of rock, destroying a pylon and cutting power to 20,000 homes. Telephone service was also lost until the road was reopened in mid-2019. Visitors find a remote Highland landscape of dark water and steep hills around the loch. The surrounding terrain is rugged, typical of the Moine Thrust Belt’s geology. A single-track road follows the northern shore, giving views across the water to Kinloch Hourn. The area is quiet, with few buildings except for a small settlement at the eastern end. Walkers use the rough tracks to reach higher ground and the fault line exposures.