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Loch Morar, Scotland
Ben’s Place of the Week

Loch Morar, Scotland

Coordinates: 56 57 N 5 40 W

Depth: 1, 017 feet (310 m)

Sure, Loch Ness and the rumors of its resident mythical monster tend to grab all of the attention, but Scotland actually contains dozens of these glacially-formed bodies of water. Loch Morar, not far from the Isle of Skye in the Northern Highlands, serves as a particularly good example, given that it holds the title of deepest freshwater body in Great Britain and Ireland. Not to mention that Morar’s 12-mile length has also produced numerous eyewitness accounts of another strange serpentine creature, known locally as Morag.

Potential visitors undeterred by superstition should know that the lake can be kayaked or canoed, but take note: the lightly populated, steep-sided shoreline doesn’t offer an easy escape route should Morag’s existence turn out to be more fact than fable.

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Ben Keene is the editor of Oxford Atlas of the World. Check out some of his previous places of the week.

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