Tuesday 4 May 2010

Phenomonal Loch Earn offers seiching tides, boat races and other unique events


Loch Earn has a seiching tide.  Not a tide that moves with the sun and moon and it does not cause the loch to rise and fall either. The seiching phenomenon has something to do with the prevailing wind. Seiching happens in other lakes like Garda, Baikal, Eirie and has also been reported in Scotlands, Loch Treig.  As a guest, you can fish for trout free from our loch garden at Briar Cottages in Perthshire. You may experience the seiching as your float moves subtly right and then left over a 16 hour period. The water often looks calm like the photo above taken last week at the end of April; especially early in the morning and later in the evening. At other times the pseudo waves can be quite choppy. The beauty of the location is that the loch state, colours, weather and seasons are ever changing and no two days seem alike.  The setting sun had Glen Ample glowing behind Edinample Castle the other night yet there is still a bit of snow high on the hill tops.  Before long, the glen and surrounding hills will start to turn green as the grassy hues become richer. Whatever the weather, the loch and its backdop make a unique and magical venue for scheduled events like the Great Loch Earn Boat race, The Loch Earn 6.5 mile and 1 mile open water swim competitions,  the SAA water plane splash in and Wake Scot water ski and wakeboarding contests.

 The Great Loch Earn boat race was held on Loch Earn on 25th April, organised by the Crieff round table. 13 boats with teams of 4 set out from the Lochearnhead Cafe, rowing six and a half miles to St Fillans in aid of charity.  The loch was kind to them however the weather was misty and cool. Contestants gathered at the recently refurbished Achray House Hotel in St Fillans afterwords for some well earned sustenance and the prize giving ceremony.  How wonderful it is to be able to view these unique loch events from our front garden.