Loch Langavat

Loch Langavat (Scottish Gaelic: Langabhat) is the name of several freshwater lochs in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. The name is a Gaelic rendition of Old Norse lang^[1] "long" and vatn, meaning "lake".^[2]

Loch Langavat, to the northeast of Carlabhagh

Most of these lochs are on the island of Lewis and Harris

1. Loch Langavat (NB525545) is a loch in the Ness district of Lewis. It lies midway between the Butt of Lewis and Tolsta Head, 12 miles (19 km) northeast of Stornoway.^[3]
2. Loch Langabhat (NB197205) is the biggest freshwater loch on Lewis. It is over 7 miles long and at the head of the Grimersta system, with spectacular scenery and frequent sightings of golden eagles and red deer.^[4] The loch is fished for salmon and brown trout.^[4] The loch lies at 33 metres (108 ft) above sea level, its total area is 906.5 hectares (2,240 acres) and its maximum depth 30 metres (98 ft).^[5]
3. Loch Langabhat (NB217437) is a small loch north of Carlabhagh, Lewis.
4. Loch Langabhat (NB484445) is a small loch northwest of Gress, Lewis.
5. Loch Langabhat (NB022092) is a loch about 700 m long west of Amhuinnsuidhe, Harris.
6. Loch Langabhat (NG044897) in central Harris is in a steep-sided valley and more than 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) long.

There is another Loch Langabhat on Benbecula at NF827490, which is over 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) long.

According to Sinclair (1890), John Macaulay, known as Iain Ruadh MacDhughaill, "was celebrated as a hunter. He was drowned in Loch Langabhat whilst swimming to an Island in the middle of that lake, an t-Eilaln Dubh. A large stone marks the spot on which his body was laid after it was taken out of the water. His bereaved mother used to visit this spot on almost every Wednesday of the year. He was born about the year 1600."^[6] It is not clear which of the Loch Langavats this incident refers to.

References

• Murray, Sir John and Pullar, Laurence (1908) Bathymetrical Survey of the Fresh-Water Lochs of Scotland, 1897-1909. London; Royal Geographical Society.
• Sinclair, Alexander Maclean (1890) The Gaelic bards : from 1411 to 1517 [i.e. 1715] Edinburgh; J. Thin

Footnotes

1. Iain Mac an Tàilleir. "Placenames" (PDF). Pàrlamaid na h-Alba. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 September 2011. Retrieved 23 July 2007.
2. Maxwell, Sir Herbert (1894) Scottish Land-Names: Their Origin and Meaning Archive.org. Retrieved 28 December 2009. Originally published by William Blackwood and Sons of Edinburgh.
3. "Loch Langavat". Gazetteer for Scotland. Retrieved 14 November 2009.
4. "Scaliscro Estate". Fish Hebrides. Retrieved 14 November 2009.
5. Murray and Pullar (1908) "Lochs of Lewis"^{[permanent dead link]} Page 213, Volume II, Part II. National Library of Scotland. Retrieved 20 December 2009.
6. Sinclair, Alexander Maclean (1890) "LE A MHATHAIR" Archive.org. Retrieved 20 December 2009.