| Nor Loch |
Article Index for Nor |
Website Links For Nor |
Information AboutNor Loch |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT NOR LOCH | |
| edinburgh | |
| lochs of scotland | |
| former lakes | |
| old town, edinburgh | |
| SHOPPER'S DELIGHT | |
|
The Nor Loch, sometimes referred to in English as the '''North Loch''', was a body of water formerly in Edinburgh , in the area now occupied by Princes Street Gardens, which lies between the Royal Mile and Princes Street. It is sometimes spelt with an apostrophe after the "r", but this is controversial. GEOLOGICAL FORMATION Although largely artificial when in existence, the depression, along with the parallel one, now occupied by the Cowgate, was formed by glacial erosion during the Ice Age , when the icepack was forced to divide by the Volcanic Plug now known as Edinburgh Rock . EARLY HISTORY The Nor Loch was initially a Marsh , and part of the natural defence of the Edinburgh Old Town. Because the Old Town was built on a steep ridge (still clearly visible today), it expanded on an east-west axis, westwards from the castle; expansion northward, as would happen with the later New Town, was extremely difficult at this point, and not desirable. The Nor Loch was thus a hindrance to both invaders and town growth. It is thought that at some stage the Nor Loch area was turned from marshland into a clear body of water, and that this existed for approximately six hundred years. It is never thought to have been particularly deep. MIDDLE AGES TO 19TH CENTURY As the Old Town became ever more crowded during the Middle Ages, the Nor Loch became similarly polluted, by sewage, household waste, and general detritus thrown down the hillside. Nonetheless, the Nor Loch was ''still'' used as a source of water for the medieval city. The Nor Loch fulfilled a variety of other roles during this period including:
In the mid-19th century, the Nor Loch was filled in and would form part of Princes Street Gardens , although frequent floods both then and now, threatened to "resurrect" it. As well as being an obvious health hazard, town planners preferred the area to be a park with gardens. MODERN PERIOD Although the Nor Loch was filled in during the 19th century, neither its legacy nor its name are entirely forgotten. During the construction of Waverley Station , and the train lines through the area, a number of bones were uncovered. OTHER LOST LOCHS IN EDINBURGH The Nor Loch is not the only "lost loch" in the city. Another example is " Gogarloch " in the South Gyle / Corstorphine area. Like the Nor Loch, this was mostly marshland, rather than a true Loch , and was also reclaimed for similar purposes, i.e. a park, housing and to build the railway to the Forth Bridge . Lochrin is also a district of Edinburgh, and was also a manmade loch. FURTHER READING
|