Carlingwark Loch

Carlingwark Loch lies just south of Castle Douglas in Dumfries and Galloway. It is a small freshwater loch shaped nearly north to south. The name comes from the Scots Gaelic word for fort and the old Scots word for work. Four artificial islets in the loch show signs of past fortification and settlement. Ash Island is thought to be a crannog, a type of ancient loch dwelling. Archaeologists have found a bronze cauldron, sword, pan and two dugout canoes in the loch. The loch once connected to the River Dee by Carlingwark Lane, a 1.5-mile canal opened in 1765. Flat-bottomed boats used the canal to carry shell-marl to nearby farms until about 1840. A 5.25-kilometre footpath circles the loch, popular with birdwatchers and anglers. In 2012 the loch and its surroundings became a Site of Special Scientific Interest because of its birdlife and grassland. E.R. Watson surveyed the loch in 1903 as part of a wider Scottish freshwater study. Visitors walk the footpath to watch birds and fish along the shore. Barley straw added twice a year has helped control blue-green algae. An aerating fountain installed in 2009 proved ineffective and was stopped. The loch’s shallow depth limits what can be done to improve water quality. The surrounding grassland and loch remain a quiet place for nature.