Lake of Menteith


Lake of Menteith, also known as Loch Inchmahome, is a loch in Scotland located on the Carse of Stirling, the flood plain of the upper reaches of the rivers Forth and Teith, upstream of Stirling.

Name

Until the early 19th century, the more usual Scottish name of Loch of Menteith was used. On the Blaeu Atlas of Scotland, 1654, it is named as Loch Inche Mahumo. The only settlement of any size on the Lake of Menteith is Port of Menteith.

Geography

There are a number of small islands in the loch. On the largest, Inchmahome, is Inchmahome Priory, an ancient monastery. The priory served as refuge to Mary, Queen of Scots, in 1547. She was only four years old at the time and stayed for three weeks after the disastrous Battle of Pinkie Cleugh in September of that year. The Loch is not particularly deep and can freeze over completely in exceptionally cold winters. If the ice becomes thick enough — at least — an outdoor curling tournament called The Bonspiel or the Grand Match is held on the loch. The event can attract thousands of curlers despite its rarity. The last Grand Match was held in 1979. The planned 2010 Bonspiel was abandoned on health and safety grounds.
The Lake of Menteith is often thought of as the only body of water in Scotland that is referred to as a lake. Actually, there are others, some of which are artificial bodies: Pressmennan Lake, the Lake of the Hirsel, Lake Louise, Raith Lake in Kirkcaldy, Upper Lake and Kelly Lake, Pitfour Lake, and Cally Lake. There is also a sea bay near Kirkcudbright known as Manxman's Lake. Nearly all other major bodies of water in Scotland are known as lochs.
This unusual name is believed to be due to a corruption by 16th-century Dutch cartographers of the Lowland Scots Laich o Menteith, where "laich" simply means "low place".

Malling Roman Fort

There was a Roman Fort associated with the Gask Ridge to the west of the lake. It was found by David Wilson and Kenneth St Joseph in 1968 when they were conducting an aerial survey of Flanders Moss. Following the aerial photography, ground measurements of resistance and magnetic susceptibility were taken. The site may have been known as "Lindon" to the Romans.
from south to north Balmuildy, Cadder, Castlecary, Mumrills, Camelon, Drumquhassle, Malling, Doune, Glenbank, Bochastle, Ardoch, Sheilhill, Strageath, Dalginross, Midgate, Bertha, Fendoch, Cargill, Cardean, Inchtuthil, Inverquharity, Stracathro

In popular culture

In 2020, the lake was featured in the BBC programme Springwatch presented by wildlife photographer Gordon Buchanan.