River Don, Aberdeenshire
| River Don | |
|---|---|
 River Don and Castle Forbes near Alford. | |
| Location | |
| Country | Scotland |
| County | Aberdeenshire |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Ladder Hills |
| Mouth | |
• location | Bridge of Don, Aberdeen |
• coordinates | 57°10′34″N 2°04′37″W / 57.1760°N 2.0770°W |
| Length | 131 km (81 mi) |
| Basin size | 1,312 km2 (507 sq mi) |
| Discharge | |
| • location | Parkhill |
| • average | 20.64 m3/s (729 cu ft/s) |
The River Don (
Course of the river
The Don rises in the peat flat beneath Druim na Feithe, and in the shadow of
The chief tributaries are
History
The river was recorded by the 2nd century AD cosmographer
Hydrology
| Discharge of the River Don at various locations[2] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Station | Start | Catchment Area |
Mean Flow |
| Culfork | 1997 | 103 km2 (40 sq mi) | 2.94 m3/s (104 cu ft/s) |
| Alford | 1973 | 499 km2 (193 sq mi) | 10.22 m3/s (361 cu ft/s) |
| Haughton | 1969 | 787 km2 (304 sq mi) | 14.33 m3/s (506 cu ft/s) |
| Parkhill (Dyce) | 1969 | 1,273 km2 (492 sq mi) | 20.64 m3/s (729 cu ft/s) |
River levels and flows have been measured along the course of the Don at a number of
Prior to 2016 the maximum levels and flows were recorded during the floods of November 2002, with peak levels on the 22nd of that month reaching 5.07 metres (16.6 ft) at Haughton near Inverurie, and 4.17 metres (13.7 ft) at Parkhill. These were exceeded in January 2016 during the 2015–16 floods, when levels at Haughton reached 5.6 metres (18 ft), whilst those at Parkhill were over a metre higher than previously at 5.5 metres (18 ft).[2][4] The resultant flooding forced residents along the river to evacuate their homes, in some cases with the help of local rescue teams. Areas affected included Port Elphinstone, Kintore, and Donside in Aberdeen where a number of residential care homes were evacuated as a precaution.[4][5]
Economy
Strathdon attracts visitors for salmon and trout fishing as well as its castles and scenery. A 100kW hydro scheme at Tillydrone is on the former site of the Donside Papermill.
See also
- Aberdeenshire Canal
- Brig o' Balgownie
- Glenbuchat Castle
- List of rivers of Scotland
- Rivers and Fisheries Trusts of Scotland (RAFTS)
- List of navigation authorities in the United Kingdom
- List of waterway societies in the United Kingdom
References
- ^ Strang, Alastair. “Explaining Ptolemy's Roman Britain.” Britannia, vol. 28, 1997, pp. 1–30. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/526763. Accessed 21 April 2020.
- ^ a b c Marsh, T J; Hannaford, J (2008). UK Hydrometric Register. Hydrological data UK series. Centre for Ecology & Hydrology. p. 15.
- ^ "River Don". River Don Trust. Retrieved 11 January 2016.
- ^ a b "Scotland Weather: River Don bursts its banks as North East of Scotland continues to be battered by heavy rain". Daily Record. Trinity Mirror. 8 January 2016. Retrieved 11 January 2016.
- ^ "Scotland flooding: Record high for river levels". BBC News. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
External links
