Editing Loch of Strathbeg

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox body of water
 | name = Loch of Strathbeg
 | image = Lochofstrathbeg2.jpg
 | caption = Looking south-east across the loch
 | image_bathymetry = 
 | caption_bathymetry = 
 | location = [[Aberdeenshire]], [[Scotland]]
 | coords = {{coord|57|37|11|N|1|52|37|W|region:GB_type:waterbody|display=inline,title}}
 | lake_type = 
 | inflow = Burn of Savoch
 | outflow = 
 | catchment = 
 | basin_countries =
 | length = 
|pushpin_map=Scotland Aberdeenshire
 | width = 
 | area = {{convert|220|ha|acre}}<ref name=nature/>
 | depth = 
 | max-depth = {{convert|2|m|ft}}<ref name=nature/>
 | volume = 
 | residence_time = 
 | shore = 
 | elevation = 
 | islands = 
 | cities = 
 | frozen = 
| embedded = {{Designation list
| embed = yes
| designation1 = Ramsar
| designation1_date = 27 November 1995
| designation1_number = 778<ref name=ramsar>{{Cite web|title=Loch of Strathbeg|publisher=[[Ramsar Convention|Ramsar]] Sites Information Service|url=https://rsis.ramsar.org/ris/778|accessdate=25 April 2018}}</ref>}}
}}
[[File:Konik Horses at Loch of Strathbeg - geograph.org.uk - 4078748.jpg|thumb|Free-roaming [[konik horse]]s on the shore of the loch]]
The '''Loch of Strathbeg'''{{efn|The name ''Strathbeg'' comes from Gaelic and means "small [[strath]] or valley".<ref>{{cite book|last=Robertson|first=James A.|title=The Gaelic Topography of Scotland, and What It Proves|location=Edinburgh|publisher=William P. Nimmo|date=1869|page=349|url=https://archive.org/details/gaelictopography00robeuoft/page/349}}</ref> According to James Cumine of Rattray, writing in 1888, it referred originally to "a perfect little strath, about three quarters of a mile long, stretching from the Bridge of Savock at [[Crimonmogate]] to a steep bank at the west end of the Loch, called Stor-na-fin".<ref>{{cite journal|last=Cumine|first=James|date=1888|title=The Burgh of Rattray|url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=nyp.33433075899314&seq=132|journal=Transactions of the Buchan Field Club, 1887 to 1890|page=114}}</ref>}} is a shallow freshwater loch on the coast of [[Buchan]] in [[Aberdeenshire]], Scotland. It lies within the parishes of [[Lonmay]] and [[Crimond]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.scottish-places.info/parishes/parhistory224.html|title=Parish of Lonmay (historical perspective)|publisher=[[Gazetteer for Scotland]]|accessdate=2024-11-07}}</ref> The loch is a designated [[special protection area]] because of its importance to birdlife<ref name=ramsar/> and is managed by the [[Royal Society for the Protection of Birds]], which operates a visitor centre at Starnafin. It is visited in the winter months by at least 20,000 birds, including [[pink-footed geese]], [[whooper swan]]s, and [[Eurasian teal|teal]]s.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rspb.org.uk/days-out/reserves/loch-of-strathbeg|title=Loch of Strathbeg|publisher=RSPB|accessdate=2024-11-07}}</ref>

==History==
The Loch of Strathbeg was formerly an inlet of the sea, sheltered by a shingle [[shoal|bar]]. A channel at the east end of the bar gave access to the port of [[Rattray, Aberdeenshire|Rattray]]. This channel began to silt up in the 17th century, however, which proved fatal for the port. It was finally sealed by a storm around the year 1720.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Murray |first1=H. K. |last2=Murray |first2=J. |date=1993 |title=Excavations at Rattray, Aberdeenshire, a Scottish Deserted Burgh |url=https://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/library/browse/details.xhtml?recordId=3188949 |journal=Medieval Archaeology |volume=37 |pages=110–111}}</ref> Writing in 1794, the minister of Crimond remarked:

{{blockquote|At the beginning of the present century, this lake was of much smaller extent than it is now. It was confined to a small part of the E. end, and had a communication with the sea, so that vessels of small burthen could enter it. People born about the beginning of the century well remembered the first overflowing of the W. part of the loch, though the particular year is not now
known, but it must have been about 1720. Previous to that time there was a hill of sand, between the hill above mentioned <nowiki>[</nowiki>[[Castle of Rattray|Castle Hill]]<nowiki>]</nowiki> and the sea, and still higher than it. A furious E. wind blew away this hill of sand in one night, which stopped the communication between the loch and the sea by forming a sand bar. The low lying ground to the W. was soon overflowed, and the extent of the loch much increased.<ref>{{cite book|editor-last=Sinclair|editor-first=Sir John|title=The Statistical Account of Scotland|volume=11|location=Edinburgh|publisher=William Creech|date=1794|pages=418–419|url=https://stataccscot.ed.ac.uk/static/statacc/dist/viewer/osa-vol11-Parish_record_for_Crimond_in_the_county_of_Aberdeen_in_volume_11_of_account_1/osa-vol11-p418-parish-aberdeen-crimond}}</ref>}}

Attempts were made in the 18th century to drain the loch, but these were doomed to end in failure. The ruined windmill on the shore of the loch and the drainage channel linking it to the sea are relics of this time.<ref>{{cite web|title=NK05NE0012 – Savoch Windmill|publisher=Aberdeenshire Historic Environment Records|url=https://online.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/smrpub/master/detail.aspx?&refno=NK05NE0012|access-date=7 November 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=NK06SE0007 – Lonmay|publisher=Aberdeenshire Historic Environment Records|url=https://online.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/smrpub/master/detail.aspx?&refno=NK06SE0007|access-date=7 November 2024}}</ref>

During the [[First World War]], the loch was used as a [[seaplane]] base. The disused [[RNAS Rattray|aerodrome]] on its shore dates from the [[Second World War]].<ref name=nature>{{cite journal |last1=Bourne |first1=W. R. P. |last2=Gimingham |first2=C. H. |last3=Morgan |first3=N. C. |last4=Britton |first4=R. H. |date=1973 |title=The Loch of Strathbeg |url=https://archive.org/details/sim_nature-uk_1973-03-09_242_5393/page/93 |journal=Nature |volume=242 |page=93}}</ref>

== References ==
{{notelist}}
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Loch Strathbeg}}
*[https://www.rspb.org.uk/days-out/reserves/loch-of-strathbeg RSPB webpage for the Loch of Strathbeg]

{{Buchan, Aberdeenshire places|state = collapsed}}
{{RSPB sites in Scotland}}

[[Category:Royal Society for the Protection of Birds reserves in Scotland]]
[[Category:Special Protection Areas in Scotland]]
[[Category:Protected areas of Aberdeenshire]]
[[Category:Lochs of Aberdeenshire|Strachbeg]]
[[Category:Ramsar sites in Scotland]]
[[Category:Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Banff and Buchan|Strathbeg]]
[[Category:Buchan]]