Loch Ken

Loch Ken
Location	Dumfries an Gallowa
Coordinates	55.009°N 4.056°W / 55.009; -4.056
Teep	freshwater loch, reservoir
Primary inflows	Watter o Ken, River Dee
Basin kintras	Scotland
Max. lenth	9 mi (14 km)
Settlements	Glenlochar, Clachanpluck (Lauriston), Mossdale, Crossmickle, Parton
Ramsar Wetland
Offeecial name	Loch Ken & River Dee Marshes
Designatit	31 August 1992
Reference no.	568

Loch Ken is 9-mile lang freshwatter loch in the historical coonty o Kirkcoubrieshire in Dumfries an Gallowa, Scotland. It lies in The Glenkens, whaur it is fed fae the north bi the Watter o Ken an fae the wast bi the River Dee. It conteenas as the Dee sooth fae Glenlochar, whaur the watter is haudit back bi the Glenlochar Barrage. Pairt o the Galloway hydroelectric power scheme, the barrage raads the river's flow.

Veelages aroond Loch Ken include Glenlochar til the sooth, Clachanpluck (Laurieston) an Mossdale on the wast side o the loch, Crossmickle an Parton on the east. The toun o New Gallowa lies ae mile til the north. The pairish kirk o Balmaghie is bi the loch ower fae Crossmickle.

Kenmure Castle

At the northren end o the loch staunds Kenmure Castle.

Loch Ken is uised recreationally for watter skiin, fishin, an sailin, wi Glenlaggan Lodges an Loch Ken Marina caterin tae veesitors.

A railwey viaduct, ance pairt o the Portpatrick Railway, crosses the loch at Boat o Rhone, bit it is noo no uised an is no in a sauf condeetion.

Loch Ken an the River Dee Merses wis allocatit as a Ramsar site on 21 August 1992.

John Murray wis gamekeeper til the Gordons at Kenmure Castle an is remembert for haen catcht in the loch the lairgest ged on record, the heid o it restit on his shouder, wi the tail trailin on the grun. It wee'd 72 pund, an it meisurt aboot 7 fit in lenth. The skelet o the heid wis for mony years preserved on shaw in the billiard room at Kenmure whaur it wis studied an meisurt bi Charles Tate Regan, a Breetish ichthyologist, o the Natural History Museum in Lunnon. Murray dee'd in 1777 and is buirit at the Kells Kirkyaird; on his toumstane is cairved in relief a gun, a pouder pootch, a fishin-rod, a dug an a paitrick.

External links

• The Loch Ken Holiday Pairk
• The Galloway Sailing Centre
• Loch Ken Water Ski School
• Loch Ken Boat Trips