AWE

awe, loch, the longest freshwater lake in scotland, situated in mid-argyllshire, 116 ft. above the sea, with an area of nearly 16 sq. m. it has a n.e. to s.w. direction and is fully 23 m. long from kilchurn castle to ford, its breadth varying from 1/3 of a mile to 3 m. at its upper end, where it takes the shape of a crescent, one arm of which runs towards glen orchy, the other to the point where the river awe leaves the lake. the two ends of the loch are wholly dissimilar in character, the scenery of the upper extremity being majestic, while that of the lower half is pastoral and tame. of its numerous islands the best-known is inishail, containing ruins of a church and convent, which was suppressed at the reformation. at the extreme north-eastern end of the lake, on an islet which, when the water is low, becomes part of the mainland, stand the imposing ruins of kilchurn castle. its romantic surroundings have made this castle a favourite subject of the landscape painter. dalmally, about 2 m. from the loch, is one of the pleasantest villages in the highlands and has a great vogue in midsummer. the river awe, issuing from the north-western horn of the loch, affords excellent trout and salmon fishing. awl (o. eng. _ael_; at one time spelt _nawl_ by a confusion with the indefinite article before it), a small hand-tool for piercing holes. axe (o. eng. _aex_; a word common, in different forms, in the teutonic languages, and akin to the greek [greek: axine]; the _new english dictionary_ prefers the spelling "ax"), a tool or weapon, taking various shapes, but, when not compounded with some distinguishing word (_e.g._ in "pick-axe"), generally formed [v.03 p.0068] by an edged head fixed upon a handle for striking. a "hatchet" is a small sort of axe.