Loch Rannoch
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Loch Rannoch is a large body of fresh water in Perthshire, Scotland.
The loch is over 15 kilometers long in an east-west direction with an average width of about 1 kilometer. The River Tummel begins at its eastern end. The Tay Forest Park lies along its southern shore. The wild Rannoch Moor extends to the west of the loch-unfortunatley Rannoch Moor used to be part of the massive Caledonian Pine Forest that stretched across much of Northern Scotland. This is proven in part by the presence of Scots Pine stumps preserved in the boggy areas of the moor and pollen records from peat cores.
The loch and surrounding areas are spoiled by massive deforestation and alien species plantation; these practices give the unnaturally dense forest alternating with 'bare' look seen across much of the Scottish Highlands. At Loch Rannoch, like most of the rest of Scotland, the deforested hills are not natural and the plantation forest seen in many areas is not of much value for wildlife or helping the damaged ecology. Few people realise that the state of much of Scotland is not natural and should resemble the hills of Norway more than the bare eroded slopes seen at present. Luckily there has been a growing interest in reforesting Scotland. Groups spear-heading this movement include RSPB, Trees for Life, Reforesting Scotland, The Forestry Commission and The Woodland Trust. Despite these scars the area does, however, offer good sport fishing and walking even if it does feel a little bleak due to the factors discussed above. A crannog (an ancient artificial island) lies near its western end.