Scottish Rivers
There are about 40 rivers in Scotland with variations from fast flowing to gentle meandering, flowing into lochs, flowing into the sea, through glens and through cities and towns. Scottish river water also varies from crystal clear to rich and peaty allowing such sports as fishing, canoeing and rafting to be a regular activity in most of these waterways. Below is a description of the larger, more well known rivers in Scotland.
River Tay
The Tay is the longest river in Scotland, stretching a distance of 120 miles (193 km) from the
northern slopes of Ben Lui to the Firth of Tay beyond Perth. The river is famous for it's terrific
salmon fishing.
River Spey
The River Spey is the 2nd longest river in Scotland, rising near Loch Laggan. It joins the River
Truim at Newtonmore, then flows between the Monadhliaths and Cairngorms, to Spey Bay.
River Clyde
The River Clyde is 106 miles/176km long making it Scotland's 3d longest river. It flows from
the Lanarkshire hills northwards. The river continues on through the heart of Glasgow and past
Clydebank where over 35,000 ships were built in the 19th and 20th centuries. From here it flows
into the sea, becoming the Firth of Clyde running west from Dumbarton. It then turns south
between the Ayrshire and Argyll coasts to the Irish Sea.
River Tweed
The River Tweed has always been internationally famous for its salmon fishing, with people coming
from all over the world to fish it. After three record breaking years, not only does Tweed
catch more Atlantic salmon than any other river in the European Union, but it also now ranks
among the very top salmon rivers in the world.
The River Tweed flows form Tweed Well, near Moffat, northeast through Peebles and then east through Melrose, Kelso and Coldstream. It then flows northeast to enter the North Sea at Berwick-upon-Tweed. The river forms the border with England for most of its length from Coldstream.
River Dee
One of the top four British salmon rivers, the Dee rises in the Cairngorm Mountains and flows
for over 80 miles through the Grampian region in north east Scotland before it enters the North
Sea at Aberdeen.
River Don
The River Don rises to the south of Tomintoul and flows northeast and then east by Strathdon.
It then flows southeast for a total of 82 miles to the enter the North Sea, near Bridge of
Don.
River Forth
The River Forth is formed near Aberfoyle. The Forth meanders through Stirling and continues east
to Kincardine where the rivers widens into an estuary, known as the Firth of Forth. With Fife,
to the north, and Edinburgh and the Lothians, to the south, the firth opens up into the North
Sea.
In and Around Aberfeldy
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