Sailing on Bala Lake
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Bala & It’s Lake (Llyn Tegid)

by ianjking

Bala & It’s Lake (Llyn Tegid)

Bala (Y Bala) lies by Bala Lake (Llyn Tegid), seventeen miles north-east of Dolgellau, centered around one wide street, called Stryd Fawr (High Street or Great Street).

Llyn Tegid is Wales largest natural lake, covering 1.75 square miles. It’s popular for various waterspouts including sailing, canoeing and windsurfing. The hills around make lovely walking and with a large car parking area right beside the eastern edge of the lake, it makes it a ‘must do’ when you’re in the area.

The southern edge is home the narrow gauge Bala Lake Railway which runs to the nearby village of Llanuwchllyn (The Church Above the Lake to give it its English translation). The narrow-gauge track was laid down in 1972, the first to be laid on an old British Rail track bed (the same one which ran on to Dolgellau and Barmouth).

The lake is home to a variety of fish, including Pike which have grown up to 40lbs, Perch up to 10lbs and Eels up to 7lbs. Another fish is the Gwyniaid, a left-over from the last Ice Age. They have adapted to life in the lake and have evolved into a separate recognised species.

The lake now belongs to Gwynedd County Council.

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