Loch Etive

Loch Etive is a sea loch in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It stretches for 31.6 kilometres and reaches the sea at Connel, five kilometres north of Oban. The loch varies in width from 1.2 to 1.6 kilometres and reaches depths of up to 150 metres. Its name comes from the Gaelic goddess linked to the loch, meaning ‘little fierce one’. The loch runs east alongside the main road and rail link to Oban before turning northeast into mountainous terrain. A road along Glen Etive makes the head of the loch accessible from Glen Coe. The Falls of Lora mark the narrow mouth of the loch with strong tidal currents. The loch’s north bank holds old sessile oak woods designated as a Special Area of Conservation. Around twenty common seals live in the loch, and Dunstaffnage Castle stands just beyond its mouth. This castle was once a stronghold of the kingdom of Dál Riata until the ninth century. It may have held the Stone of Scone before it was moved to Scone Palace. The current ruins date from 1275. Cruises along the loch began in 1881, followed by carriage trips to Glen Coe as Oban grew as a resort. Connel Bridge crosses the loch at the Falls of Lora. Built in 1903 for the railway, it later carried road and passenger traffic until the line closed in 1966. On the north shore in Ardchattan stands the ruin of St Modan’s Priory, founded in the 13th century for Cistercian monks. Robert Bruce is said to have held the last parliament where Gaelic was used within its walls. The loch’s tidal waters and surrounding hills draw visitors to its quiet shores and historic sites.