Topographical, statistical, and historical gazetteer of Scotland > Volume 1
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INTRODUCTION. XH1
sections on the coasts and the marine waters ; remarkable for rendering so desolate a
region inhabitable, and especially for their being of a class which occurs elsewhere only
on the coasts of Norway, Greenland, Iceland, and the hyperborean country around
Hudson's Bay.
RIVERS.
Most of the running waters of Scotland, owing to the prevalence of mountain, and the
frequent penetrations of the sea, have small length of course, and, even in the country
itself, are not designated rivers. Yet though very numerous, and, for the most part,
individually unimportant, they will be found distinctively noticed in the articles on
counties, and fully described in the alphabetical arrangement. We can here, without
useless repetition, only name the principal streams, and state their locality and direction
of course. South of the west end of the Southern Highlands, or in two cases in Wigton-
shire, and in the third between that county and Kirkcudbrightshire, the Luce, the
Bladenoch, and the Cree, run south-eastward to the Irish sea. South of the main range
of the Southern Highlands, the Dee, the Urr, the Nith, the Annan, and the Esk, run
southward to the Solway frith. In the large triangular district, two sides of which are
formed by the main range of the Southern Highlands, and by the long spur to St. Abb's-
head, and whose aggregate basin comprehends about 1,870 square miles, the Tweed,
aided chiefly by the affluents of the Gala, the Teviot, and the Whitadder, runs east-
ward, north-eastward, and northward, to the German ocean. The Lothians and the
plain of Stirlingshire, are drained north-eastward or northward to the frith of Forth,
principally by the Tyne, the Esk, the Leith, the Almond, the Avon, and the Carron.
Ayrshire is drained in a direction more or less westerly to the frith of Clyde, by the
Stinchar, the Girvan, the Doon, the Ayr, the Irvine, and the Garnock. The basin of
the Clyde, comprehending an area of 1,200 square miles, is drained in a direction north
of west to the head of the frith of Clyde, by its cognominal stream, whose chief affluents
are the Douglas, the Avon, the Kelvin, and the Leven. The Forth, drawing greatly
the majority of its head-waters from the central division of Scotland, fed principally by
the Teith, the Allan, and the Devon, and draining an area of 574 square miles, flows
eastward to its frith. The streams which, throughout both the central and the northern
divisions of Scotland, run westward to the Atlantic, are all individually too inconsider-
able to bear separate mention. Those which drain the district east of the Ochil-hills,
are chiefly the Leven and the Eden, — the former eastward to Largo-bay, and the latter
north-eastward to St. Andrew's-bay. A vast territory lying immediately south of the
great central range of mountains, and comprehending large portions of both the High-
lands and the Lowlands, is drained to the extent of 2,396 miles, chiefly eastward, and
partly southward, by the Tay and its tributaries, the principal of which are the Tummel,
the Isla, the Almond, and the Earn. The north-east corner of this territory is drained
eastward to the German ocean, chiefly by the South-Esk and the North-Esk. In the
district immediately north of the central mountain-range, and east of the Cairngorm
mountain-knot, the Dee and the Don run eastward to the sea at Aberdeen. In the dis-
trict lying between this and the eastern half of the Moray frith, the Deveron runs north-
ward to that frith, and the Ythan and the Ugie eastward to the German ocean. The
district enclosed by the great central mountain-range, the north-east branch of the
Cairngorm ramification, the Moray frith, and the Glenmore-nan-albin, is drained to the
extent of 1,300 square miles, north-eastward to the sea by the Spey, to the extent of 500
miles northward to the frith by the Findhorn, and to a less extent for each stream, north-
ward to the frith by the Nairn, and westward to Loch-Lochy, near the west end of the
Glenmore by the Spean. In the great northern division of Scotland, the chief streams
eastward are the Beauly to the head of the Beauly frith, the Conan to the head of the
Cromarty frith, the Oykell to the head of the Dornoch frith, the Brora, the Helmsdale,
the Berriedale, and the Wick ; and the chief streams northward are the Thurso, the
Forss, the Halladale, and the Naver. Of all the rivers, the Clyde alone is navigable by
sea-craft for any considerable distance above the estuary ; and even it possesses this
high property only in consequence of great artificial deepening and embanking, and over
a distance of but about 12 miles.
sections on the coasts and the marine waters ; remarkable for rendering so desolate a
region inhabitable, and especially for their being of a class which occurs elsewhere only
on the coasts of Norway, Greenland, Iceland, and the hyperborean country around
Hudson's Bay.
RIVERS.
Most of the running waters of Scotland, owing to the prevalence of mountain, and the
frequent penetrations of the sea, have small length of course, and, even in the country
itself, are not designated rivers. Yet though very numerous, and, for the most part,
individually unimportant, they will be found distinctively noticed in the articles on
counties, and fully described in the alphabetical arrangement. We can here, without
useless repetition, only name the principal streams, and state their locality and direction
of course. South of the west end of the Southern Highlands, or in two cases in Wigton-
shire, and in the third between that county and Kirkcudbrightshire, the Luce, the
Bladenoch, and the Cree, run south-eastward to the Irish sea. South of the main range
of the Southern Highlands, the Dee, the Urr, the Nith, the Annan, and the Esk, run
southward to the Solway frith. In the large triangular district, two sides of which are
formed by the main range of the Southern Highlands, and by the long spur to St. Abb's-
head, and whose aggregate basin comprehends about 1,870 square miles, the Tweed,
aided chiefly by the affluents of the Gala, the Teviot, and the Whitadder, runs east-
ward, north-eastward, and northward, to the German ocean. The Lothians and the
plain of Stirlingshire, are drained north-eastward or northward to the frith of Forth,
principally by the Tyne, the Esk, the Leith, the Almond, the Avon, and the Carron.
Ayrshire is drained in a direction more or less westerly to the frith of Clyde, by the
Stinchar, the Girvan, the Doon, the Ayr, the Irvine, and the Garnock. The basin of
the Clyde, comprehending an area of 1,200 square miles, is drained in a direction north
of west to the head of the frith of Clyde, by its cognominal stream, whose chief affluents
are the Douglas, the Avon, the Kelvin, and the Leven. The Forth, drawing greatly
the majority of its head-waters from the central division of Scotland, fed principally by
the Teith, the Allan, and the Devon, and draining an area of 574 square miles, flows
eastward to its frith. The streams which, throughout both the central and the northern
divisions of Scotland, run westward to the Atlantic, are all individually too inconsider-
able to bear separate mention. Those which drain the district east of the Ochil-hills,
are chiefly the Leven and the Eden, — the former eastward to Largo-bay, and the latter
north-eastward to St. Andrew's-bay. A vast territory lying immediately south of the
great central range of mountains, and comprehending large portions of both the High-
lands and the Lowlands, is drained to the extent of 2,396 miles, chiefly eastward, and
partly southward, by the Tay and its tributaries, the principal of which are the Tummel,
the Isla, the Almond, and the Earn. The north-east corner of this territory is drained
eastward to the German ocean, chiefly by the South-Esk and the North-Esk. In the
district immediately north of the central mountain-range, and east of the Cairngorm
mountain-knot, the Dee and the Don run eastward to the sea at Aberdeen. In the dis-
trict lying between this and the eastern half of the Moray frith, the Deveron runs north-
ward to that frith, and the Ythan and the Ugie eastward to the German ocean. The
district enclosed by the great central mountain-range, the north-east branch of the
Cairngorm ramification, the Moray frith, and the Glenmore-nan-albin, is drained to the
extent of 1,300 square miles, north-eastward to the sea by the Spey, to the extent of 500
miles northward to the frith by the Findhorn, and to a less extent for each stream, north-
ward to the frith by the Nairn, and westward to Loch-Lochy, near the west end of the
Glenmore by the Spean. In the great northern division of Scotland, the chief streams
eastward are the Beauly to the head of the Beauly frith, the Conan to the head of the
Cromarty frith, the Oykell to the head of the Dornoch frith, the Brora, the Helmsdale,
the Berriedale, and the Wick ; and the chief streams northward are the Thurso, the
Forss, the Halladale, and the Naver. Of all the rivers, the Clyde alone is navigable by
sea-craft for any considerable distance above the estuary ; and even it possesses this
high property only in consequence of great artificial deepening and embanking, and over
a distance of but about 12 miles.
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Gazetteers of Scotland, 1803-1901 > Topographical, statistical, and historical gazetteer of Scotland > Volume 1 > (25) Page xiii |
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