Mystery disappearing Loch Vaa's level rises to '20-year high'

The boathouse at Loch Vaa now (left) and last May (right)

The level at a loch that mysteriously lost millions of gallons of water a year ago has risen to one of its highest in years.

Loch Vaa, near Aviemore in the Cairngorms, is fed by a spring.

In May last year, its lease-holders reported the water level had dropped by 1.4m (4.5ft) for unexplained reasons.

However, after returning to normal levels later in 2019, it has now risen by an extra 2.5m (8ft), the highest level in decades.

"The boats in the boathouse were hitting off the roof," said Brian O'Donnell, who helps to manage use of the loch.

At one point the boats in the boathouse were hitting the roof

He said: "It is the highest I have seen in 20 years. This has happened during what is likely to have been one of the driest Aprils, and after a poor winter with little snow-melt."

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Nearby Avie Lochan is also spring-fed but its water level has not changed.

Mr O'Donnell added: "It is pretty amazing and we might never know what is going on with the Loch Vaa."

After losing tens of millions of gallons of water over the course of about nine months to May last year, Loch Vaa returned to normal in September 2019 - but only after almost 40 days of rain.

Loch Vaa floods the jetty

Its rise to a 20-year high this month started around January and February.

Last May, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency suggested the loch had suffered due to a "relatively dry" winter.

Scottish Water countered claims at the time it might be responsible by saying that an underground aquifer and boreholes that supplied water to the Badenoch and Strathspey area were located about three miles (6km) upstream of Loch Vaa, and too far away to affect it.