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Loch Borralie Tartan Hole

Loch Borralie, Durness, Sutherland.

A curious deep pit or shaft in Loch Borralie, near its NW margin. Requires further investigation with diving gear capable of dealing with relatively deep water.

"I found that the sides of the depression/bottom of the Loch were sloping downwards at an easy angle of around 30 degrees from horizontal , thick sediment on the floor and plenty of plant life, by 12m depth the slope had increased to 50 degrees from horizontal with a 20cm layer of thick sediment lying on the floor and only a sparse amount of plant life, at 24m depth this slope had increased to 65 degrees from horizontal plus and the was little sediment and no plant life, at minus 30m the slope was 75/80 degrees and just a thin layer of sediment, less than 5mm, with what felt like rock underneath. As I looked downwards all I could see (Viz about 8m to 10m I estimated) was a steep wall and a black area, presumed a hole/pit below. No fish were seen and there was no evidence of a halocline or similar. Having reached the bottom limit dictated by the mix in the cylinder the I swam along the edge of the void for some 20m and then made a steady return to the surface appreciating on the way up how steep-sided the depression/pit in the floor of the loch was, especially in its depths." [S. Brooks]

Alternative Names: Tartan Hole

Notes: The investigation that the farm manager had referred to is most likely 'The Charr Project 2021' where the West Sutherland Fisheries in partnership with Queen Mary's University, London had undertaken hydro-acustic surveys' of many NW Scottish lochs including Loch Borraile and had found that although Borraile averaged a depth of 10.9m at one point it dropped to 36m depth, although no Artic Charr fish were caught/found in the loch on that occasion. In support of the claim by the University Diving Club that mussels had been seen at depth, a report published in April 2023 by NatureScot (Scotland's Nature Agency) noted the existence of rare fresh water pearl mussels in at least two of the Sutherland Loch. [S. Brooks]

Regarding the name given to this site, in the 1980's the CDG diving in the Bahamas had found and become involved in exploring the 'Blue Holes'. Not long afterwards exploration was started in the Doolin Submarine Caves/Resurgences on the SW coast of Ireland and these were christened 'The Green Holes' and in Ireland some years later other submarine sea cave resurgences were explored in the Gort/Kinvarra lowlands and these were named 'The Brown Holes'... Hoping that such a 'Blue/Green/Brown Cenote' style cave formation/dive could also be found in Scotland the title 'Tartan Hole' was coined just in case such did exist. Hence the name given to the pit/shaft in Loch Borraile.