Llyn Eigiau

Llyn Eigiau lies high on the edge of the Carneddau range in Snowdonia, Conwy. The lake’s name may come from the shoals of fish that once lived in its waters. Early maps called it Llynyga. A small population of Arctic char survives here, along with natural brown trout. Mountains such as Pen Llithrig y Wrach surround the water. The lake sits beside the remains of a dam built in 1911. The dam was meant to feed a power station at Dolgarrog for an aluminium works. Materials travelled along the Eigiau Tramway from Dolgarrog. On 2 November 1925, after heavy rain, the dam failed and released millions of gallons of water. Sixteen lives were lost in Dolgarrog when Coedty Reservoir also burst. Today the broken dam shows weak foundations and unmixed cement. The present lake covers about 120 acres and reaches a depth of roughly 32 feet. Water enters through tunnels from Llyn Dulyn and leaves via Afon Porth-llwyd. A small river, Afon Eigiau, feeds the lake from Cwm Eigiau. A car park half a mile from the dam can be reached by a narrow lane from the B5106. Public footpaths with stiles cross old dry-stone walls along the way.