River Spey
River Spey | |
---|---|
Location | |
Country | United Kingdom |
Physical characteristics | |
Source | Loch Spey |
• location | Roybridge, Scotland |
• coordinates | 57°00′26″N 4°36′18″W / 57.00729°N 4.60499°W |
• elevation | 349 m (1,145 ft) |
Mouth | Moray Firth, Spey Bay |
• location | Fochabers, Scotland |
• coordinates | 57°40′34″N 3°06′00″W / 57.676°N 3.100°W |
• elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
Length | 98 mi (158 km) |
Basin size | 3,008 km2 (1,161 sq mi)[1] |
Discharge | |
• average | 64 m3/s (2,300 cu ft/s)[1] |
Official name | River Spey - Insh Marshes |
Designated | 2 February 1997 |
Reference no. | 889[2] |
The River Spey (
Etymology
The origin of the name Spey is uncertain. A possible etymological genesis for the name Spey is
Course
The Spey is 107 miles (172 km) long. It rises at over 1,000 feet (300 m) at Loch Spey in Corrieyairack Forest in the Scottish Highlands, 10 miles (16 km) south of Fort Augustus. Some miles downstream from its source it is impounded by Spey Dam before continuing a descent through Newtonmore and Kingussie, crossing Loch Insh before reaching Aviemore, giving its name to Strathspey. From there it flows the remaining 60 miles (97 km) north-east to the Moray Firth, reaching the sea 5 miles (8 km) west of Buckie.[7]
On some sections of its course, the Spey changes course frequently, either gradually as a result of
. The Spey spates quickly due to its wide mountainous catchment area as a result of rainfall or snow-melt.Tributaries
After leaving Loch Spey the river gathers numerous burns in the Corrieyarack, Sherramore and Glenshirra Forests. The first sizeable tributary is the Markie Burn which drops out of Glen Markie to the north to enter the waters of Spey impounded behind the Spey Dam. A further mile downstream the River Mashie enters from Strath Mashie to the south.
The
Between
Industry
The river traditionally supported many local industries, from the salmon fishing industry to shipbuilding. At one stage, Garmouth functioned as the shipbuilding capital of Britain,[citation needed] with timber from the forests around Aviemore and Aberlour being rafted down to create wooden-hulled ships.
The river is known by anglers for the quality of its salmon and trout fishing, including a particular form of fly fishing where the angler uses a double-handed fly rod to throw a 'Spey cast' whereby the fly and the line do not travel behind the fisher (thereby keeping these away from the bushes and trees lining the banks behind him or her). This type of cast was developed on the Spey.
Speyside
The
The River Spey is unusual in that its speed increases as it flows closer to the sea, due to a broadly convex long-profile. For most of its course the Spey does not meander, although it rapidly moves its banks. South of Fochabers a high earth barrier reinforces the banks, but the river has broken through on several occasions, removing a large portion of Garmouth Golf Course, sections of wall surrounding Gordon Castle, parts of the Speyside Way and some of the B9104 road.
The Spey viaduct (pedestrianised as of 1983[update]) between Spey Bay and Garmouth was originally designed with its main span over the main flow of the river, however before construction was completed the river had changed its course and was running at one end of the bridge.
Settlements
Starting from the source
- Laggan
- Newtonmore
- Inverdruie
- Aviemore
- Boat of Garten
- Grantown on Spey
- Cromdale
- Mains of Dalvey
- Advie
- Ballindalloch
- Pitchroy
- Blacksboat
- Marypark
- Knockando
- Carron
- Speyview
- Aberlour
- Craigellachie
- Dandalieth
- Rothes
- Crofts
- Newlands of Dundurcas
- Garbity
- Ordiequish
- Fochabers
- Upper Dallachy
- Stynie
- Garmouth
- Kingston on Spey
- Spey Bay
References
- ^ a b "Spey Fishery Board". Archived from the original on 22 February 2007. Retrieved 21 August 2006.
- ^ "River Spey - Insh Marshes". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
- ISBN 9780711233638.
- ^ a b Almanac of Scotland Retrieved 9 April 2024.
- ^ a b c d e Rhys, Guto. "Approaching the Pictish language: historiography, early evidence and the question of Pritenic" (PDF). University of Glasgow. University of Glasgow.
- ^ Ross, D. 2001 Scottish Place-names Birlinn, Edinburgh p200
- ^ Ordnance Survey 1:50,000 scale Landranger map sheets 28 Elgin, 34 Fort Augustus, 35 Kingussie, 36 Grantown & Aviemore and 42 Loch Rannoch
- ^ "Exploring Scotland's historic whisky trail". www.bbc.com/travel.