River Spey

Image courtesy of Y. Kohno, wikimedia commons

The River Spey (Uisge Spe) is the United Kindgom’s eighth longest river and Scotland’s second longest river at one hundred and nine miles long and with a catchment area of one thousand and ninety seven square miles.

The river’s name comes from the Brythonic language and means hawthorn.

The river starts life one thousand feet up on the Monadhliath Mountains in the Corrieyairack Forest of the Cairngorms National Park, where it drains from Loch Spey, traveling at first in a northerly direction before setting an easterly course, passing through Lochs Ericht, Garten, Insh and Marlich on the way to it’s mouth situated at Spey Bay located on Scotland’s largest firth (bay), the twenty thousand square mile Moray Firth.

For eighty miles of it’s route the river is followed by the Speyside Way walking path, situated between Aviemore and Buckie.The river passes through the Scottish towns of Aberlour, Aviemore, Ballindalloch, Carron, Fochabers, Garmouth,Inverdrurie, Kincraig, Kingston – on – Spey, Kingussie and Rothes.

The river has several tributaries, the major ones being the Rivers Aberlour, Avon, Calder, Dulnain, Feshie, Fiddich, Livet, Nethy and Truim.

Situated on the banks of the river at Aultdearg, near Craigellachie, are some impressive red glacial till earth pillars, deposited by slow moving glaciers during the last ice age.

The river has eighteen bridges of note, the oldest being the two arched stone bridge at Garvamore built in 1731, a three arched stone bridge near Laggan built in 1754, a two arched stone bridge at Fochabers built in 1806, Thomas Telford’s cast iron, rail bridge at Craigellachie built in 1814, and a cast metal, three lattice girdered viaduct near Garmouth built in 1883, formerly a rail bridge but now a foot path along the Speyside Way.There is also an interesting three arched, concrete bridge, built in 1950, spanning the Spey Dam Resevoir at Lagan in Inverness – shire.

The clear, fresh Highland spring water which flows within the River Spey has led to the Speyside area becoming home to half the whiskey distilleries in Scotland, giving the whole area the name of Scotland’s Whiskey Trail. The area is home to fifty nine distilleries, including the internationally renowned Cardhu, Glenfiddich and Glenlivet distilleries.

The river also passes the estates of the fifteenth century Gordon Castle near Fochabers in the Royal Burgh of Moray and the sixteenth century Ballindalloch Castle at Ballindalloch in Banffshire.

The river is also a popular destination for canoeing and kayaking enthusiasts.

SOME RIVER SPEY WEBSITES

Visit - www.greaterspeyside.com

Scotland's Whiskey Trail - www.maltwhiskytrail.com

LIKE THIS? SHOW YOUR FRIEND - Tweet