List of rivers of Scotland explained

This list of rivers in Scotland is organised geographically, taken anti-clockwise, from Berwick-upon-Tweed. Tributaries are listed down the page in an upstream direction. (L) indicates a left-bank tributary and (R) indicates a right-bank tributary whilst (Ls) and (Rs) indicate left and right forks where a named river is formed from two differently named rivers.

For simplicity, they are divided here by the coastal section in which the mouth of the river can be found. Those on Scottish islands can be found in a section at the end. For Scottish estuaries, please see under firths and sea lochs.

The Scots have many words for watercourses.

South-eastern Scotland

Flowing into the North Sea between Berwick-upon-Tweed and Kincardine (East Coast)

The right-bank tributary of the Tweed, the River Till together with its tributaries, is almost wholly within England but is included for completeness of the Tweed catchment.

Tweed catchment

Simple coastal catchments

Tyne catchment

Firth of Forth (Estuary)

(Lothian) Esk catchment

Water of Leith catchment

Almond catchment

Avon catchment

Carron catchment

Forth to Tay

Flowing into the North Sea between Kincardine and Buddon Ness (East Coast)

Forth catchment

Simple coastal catchments

Eden catchment

Tay catchment

Simple coastal catchments

East Coast

Flowing into the North Sea between Buddon Ness and Rattray Head

Simple coastal catchments

River South Esk catchment

River North Esk catchment

Simple coastal catchments

Dee catchment

Don catchment

Simple coastal catchments

Ythan catchment

Simple coastal catchments

Moray Firth (north-facing coast)

Flowing into the North Sea between Rattray Head and Inverness

Simple coastal catchments

Deveron catchment

Simple coastal catchments

Spey catchment

Lossie catchment

Findhorn catchment

Nairn catchment

Ness catchment

Moray Firth (east-facing coast)

Flowing into the North Sea between Inverness and Duncansby Head (East Coast)

Moniack catchment

Beauly catchment

Conon catchment

Simple coastal catchments

Carron catchment

Oykel catchment

Shin catchment

Simple coastal catchments

Brora catchment

Simple coastal catchments

Wick catchment

North Coast

Flowing into the Atlantic Ocean between Dunnet Head and Cape Wrath

Thurso catchment

Simple coastal catchments

Hope catchment

Simple coastal catchments

North-west Highlands

Flowing into the Atlantic Ocean between Cape Wrath and Corpach at the head of Loch Linnhe

Simple coastal catchments

Kirkaig catchment

Simple coastal catchments

Ewe catchment

Simple coastal catchments

Shiel catchment

Simple coastal catchments

Aline catchment

Simple coastal catchments

South-west Highlands

Flowing into the Atlantic Ocean between Corpach at the head of Loch Linnhe and the Mull of Kintyre

Awe catchment

Simple coastal catchments

Firth of Clyde

Rivers discharging into the Firth of Clyde between the Mull of Kintyre and Mull of Galloway. Rivers on Arran are found in the islands section.

Simple coastal catchments

Clyde catchment

Simple coastal catchments

Garnock catchment

Irvine catchment

Ayr catchment

Doon catchment

Simple coastal catchments

Solway Firth

Mull of Galloway to Gretna; rivers flowing into the Irish Sea and Solway Firth

Water of Luce catchment

Bladnoch catchment

Cree catchment

Water of Fleet catchment

Dee catchment

Urr catchment

Nith catchment

Minor catchment

Annan catchment

(Border) Esk catchment

Further tributaries of the Esk lie wholly in England - see List of rivers of England.

Rivers on Scottish islands

Most of the Scottish islands are too small to maintain watercourses of any great length or size, and are frequently indented by numerous long bays and inlets which further break up the landscape. However a disproportionate number of their watercourses bear the name 'river', though many are relatively tiny.

Arran

The numerous small watercourses on Arran are listed anticlockwise from Brodick.

Skye and the Inner Hebrides

Islay

There are numerous watercourses on Islay, many of which though short are termed 'rivers'. They are listed anticlockwise from Port Askaig.

Jura

There are numerous watercourses on Jura, some of which though short are termed 'rivers'. They are listed anticlockwise from Feolin Ferry.

Mull

There are numerous watercourses on Mull, some of which though short are termed 'rivers'.They are listed anticlockwise from Tobermory.

Rùm

There are a number of watercourses on Rùm, some of which are named as 'rivers'. They are listed anticlockwise from Kinloch.

Isle of Skye

Listed anticlockwise around the coast from Kyleakin. Many small watercourses, which would in other areas be named as 'burn' or 'allt', bear the name 'river' in Skye.

Outer Hebrides

Lewis

Orkney

Mainland

Shetland

Mainland

Listing by length

Various measurements are provided for the lengths of Scottish rivers. The table below distinguishes between the river alone and the river plus tidal waters, which many sources use. In all cases the distance is for the longest distance through the catchment area not just the distance of that portion of it which the named river covers excluding upstream tributaries.

RiverRiver Length[1] River + Estuary LengthNotes
River TayThe Tay-Tummel-Gaur from its source, Coirean Lochan by Stob Ghabhar, to a line from Budden Ness to Tentsmuir Point.
The Spey is the longest stretch of river in Scotland bearing the same name throughout, though that does include Loch Insh.
River ClydeThe river length is measured to Dumbarton Rock, the estuary to the Firth of Clyde at Ardmore Point.
The lower reaches of the Tweed are in England.
River ForthThe river is measured to the Kincardine Bridge, the estuary to easternmost point of Inchgarvie by the Forth Bridge.
River NessThe Ness-Oich-Garry. No account is taken of the Inverness Firth.
River Findhorn
At low tide, the sea recedes to such an extent that the length of the river is extended by .
River Deveron
River BeaulyThe Beauly-Glass-Affric with the estuary measured to the Kessock Bridge.
River Dee, GallowayThe Dee-Ken-Water of Deuch. At low tide, the length is extended by 2.9 km.
River CononThe estuary is measured to Invergordon Harbour/ Newhall Point.
River LochyThe Lochy-Spean to Loch Linnhe at mouth of the River Nevis.
River South Esk, Angus
River Annan

Listing by area of catchment

The major rivers of Scotland, in order of catchment,[2] are:

  1. River Tay c. 2000sqmi
  2. River Tweed 1500sqmi
  3. River Spey 1097sqmi

Note: Imperial figures from quoted source; and metric figures less certain.

Shared names

A number of Scottish rivers have identical or very similar names which can be a source of confusion. These are some of the main ones. The symbol '>' is used here to signify 'tributary of':

Ale

Allan

Almond

Avon

Ba

Bannock Burn

Barr

Black Burn

Black Water

Calder

Carron

Conon

Dee

Dibidal, Dibidil

Dorback

Douglas

Eden

Elrick

Enrick, Endrick

Esk, North Esk, South Esk

Gala

Garry

Glass

Glenmore

Isla

Kilmory

Kinglas, Kinglass

Kinloch

Ledmore

Leven

Lochy, Lochay

Lunan

Lyne

Machrie

Meggat, Megget

Mor (This is merely a Gaelic adjective meaning "large" or "great")

Shiel

Tarf, Tarff

See also

Footnotes

  1. http://www.almanacofscotland.co.uk/rivers.htm Almanac of Scotland
  2. Web site: Fishing Rivers . Alastair Gowans . August 20, 2006 . https://web.archive.org/web/20060814085040/http://www.flyfish-scotland.com/rtaymap.htm . August 14, 2006 . dead .