Loch_of_Lintrathen
Loch of Lintrathen
Loch in Angus, Scotland
Loch of Lintrathen is a man-made loch occupying a glacial basin at the southern end of Glen Isla,[3] approximately 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) west of town of Kirriemuir in Angus, Scotland.[1][2]
The small village of Bridgend of Lintrathen lies on the southern shore of the loch, which is owned by Scottish Water and used as a water supply reservoir as well as an important wildlife site.[4] The loch has been the main water supply for the city of Dundee and Angus since 1875.[5] The water in the Loch of Lintrathen feeds down from Backwater Reservoir 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) to the north and exits it via sluices at Bridgend of Lintrathen, flowing southward past Lintrathen Mill in the ‘Melgam Water’, which has a confluence with the River Isla 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) farther south at Airlie Castle.[6] The loch has a surface area of 151.1 hectares (373 acres) and its dam is an earthworks dam.[3]
Loch of Lintrathen is a mid-altitude oligotrophic-mesotrophic loch, which supports large numbers of birds. There are internationally important numbers of greylag geese, with 3% of the Iceland population over-wintering at the site.[7] Other wildlife includes whooper swans, otters and osprey, and the loch is used for trout fishing.[4] The fishing is managed by the Lintrathen Angling Club and both brown and rainbow trout are fished for.[3]
As well as being recognised as a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention,[8] Loch of Lintrathen has also been designated a Special Protection Area and a Site of Special Scientific Interest.[9] The Ramsar Site includes an area of marshland in the north-west, a total of 217 hectares being protected.[8] The loch and surrounding area is also maintained as a nature reserve by the Scottish Wildlife Trust.[4]