This articleneeds additional citations forverification.(December 2015) |
TheWater of Leith(Scottish Gaelic:Uisge Lìte) is the mainriverflowing through centralEdinburgh,Scotland, that starts in the Pentlands Hills and flows into the port ofLeithand then into the sea via theFirth of Forth.
| Water of Leith | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| Location | |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Country | Scotland |
| Council areas | West Lothian,Edinburgh |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Millstone Rig,West Lothian |
| • coordinates | 55°59′N3°10′W/ 55.983°N 3.167°W |
| Mouth | |
• location | Leith Docks,Edinburgh |
• coordinates | 55°58′46″N3°10′14″W/ 55.979399°N 3.170638°W |
• elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
| Length | 35 km (22 mi) |
Name
editThe nameLeithmay be ofBrittonicorigin and derived from*lejthmeaning 'damp, moist' (Welshllaith).[1]It is less likely that the name derives from theOld Norseloddameaning a river.[citation needed]TheGaelicform of the name isLìte(Leith), withUisge Lìtebeing the full translation of "Water of Leith".[2]
TheDictionary of the Scots Languagedefines the term "water" here as "A large stream, usu. thought of as intermediate in size between aBurnand a river. "[3]
Course
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The length of the main stream is 20 miles (31.7 km). Its source is the Colzium Springs in thePentland Hills.[4]The river travels throughHarperrig Reservoir,past the ruins ofCairns Castle,on toBalerno,Currie,Juniper Green,Colinton,Slateford,Longstone,Saughton,Balgreen,RoseburnandWest Coates.The river nears Edinburgh city centre betweenWest EndandDean Village;the site of oldwatermillsin a deep gorge. Theravineis dramatically spanned by theDean Bridge,designed byThomas Telfordand built in 1832 for the road toQueensferry.[5]
The river flows on pastStockbridge,Inverleith,CanonmillsandWarristonwhere it passes through shallows at a place known as Puddocky which is commonly thought to refer to "puddocks", theScots languageterm for frogs,[6]but actually took its name from the former Paddock Hall sited nearby.[7]The river continues pastBonnington,the site of another watermill, toLeithwhere it widens into the old harbour and port at theShore.Leith Docks have been extended considerably out into thefirthfrom the old shoreline.
Water of Leith Walkway
editTheWater of Leith Walkwayis beside the river for 12.8 miles (20.6 km) from Balerno to Leith.[8]The route forms an attractive haven for wildlife, passing through areas of woodland, often well separated from roads. For some distance the walkway follows the route of former railway tracks, and the remains of tunnels, bridges and other features of more than one railway may be seen at many places along the route including the Colinton Tunnel Mural.[9]
Water of Leith Conservation Trust
editThe Water of Leith Conservation Trust, founded in 1988 is a registered charity whose objective is to "conserve the Water of Leith and its environs" and "promote the natural and built heritage of the river...".[10]The Trust runs educational programs and operates a visitor centre close to where theUnion Canalpasses over the Water of Leith via theSlateford Aqueductin south-west Edinburgh.
Wildlife
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The river contains 15 different types of fish includingbrown trout,wildgrayling,eels,stone loach,minnow,three-spined sticklebackandflounder.A few sea-trout run the river, and occasional Atlantic salmon are reported, although those from which scale samples have been obtained have turned out to be from other catchments.
Until the weirs are either demolished or furnished with effective fish-passes, there is little chance of a population of salmon establishing themselves in this river again. Roe deer, badgers, otters and other mammals are often seen.[8]The river and its environs are the haunt of a wide variety of woodland and water birds, includingkingfisher,grey heron,pied wagtail,great spotted woodpeckerandwhite-throated dipper.
See also
edit- Rivers of Scotland
- River Almond,which flows throughCramondandKirkliston
- River Esk, Lothian
- Water of Leith,a river which flows throughDunedin,New Zealand
References
edit- ^James, Alan."A Guide to the Place-Name Evidence"(PDF).SPNS - The Brittonic Language in the Old North.Retrieved25 November2018.
- ^Bell, Raymond MacKean (2017).Literary Corstorphine: A reader's guide to West Edinburgh.Edinburgh: Leamington Books.ISBN9780244644406.
- ^"Water".Dictionary of the Scots Language.Retrieved2 August2020.
- ^Helen Brown (3 April 2020).Water of Leith Management Plan 2020-2030(pdf)(Report). Water of Leith Action Group. p. 4.Retrieved22 August2023.
- ^Historic Environment Scotland."Edinburgh, Queensferry Road, Dean Bridge (119344)".Canmore.Retrieved23 August2023.
- ^"Dictionaries of the Scots Language:: SND:: puddock".Retrieved22 August2023.
- ^Ashford, Zella (1994)."The Lands of Warriston"(PDF).The Book of the Old Edinburgh Club Journal for Edinburgh History.3:1.ISSN2634-2618.
- ^abThe Water of Leith Conservation Trust."Welcome - A silver thread in a ribbon of green".waterofleith.org.uk.Retrieved14 October2020.
- ^"Home".colintontunnel.org.uk.Retrieved22 August2023.
- ^"The Trust » The Water of Leith Conservation Trust".The Water of Leith Conservation Trust.Retrieved23 August2023.
External links
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- Water of Leith Conservation Trust: The River, Visitor Center, Education, Conservation
- Scottish Government, 16/03/07: Water of Leith Flood Prevention Scheme
- Water of Leith
- Water of Leith Millennium Bid document.The bid was successful and paid for new sections of the Walkway and the Visitor Centre.
- "Forth District Salmon Fishery Board"
- "River Forth Fisheries Trust"