List of rivers of Scotland


This list of rivers in Scotland is organised geographically, taken anti-clockwise, from Berwick-upon-Tweed. Tributaries are listed down the page in an upstream direction. indicates a left-bank tributary and indicates a right-bank tributary whilst and indicate left and right forks where a named river is formed from two differently named rivers.
For simplicity, they are divided here by the coastal section in which the mouth of the river can be found. Those on Scottish islands can be found in a section at the end. For Scottish estuaries, please see under firths and sea lochs.
The Scots have many words for watercourses.
Flowing into the North Sea between Berwick-upon-Tweed and Kincardine
The right-bank tributary of the Tweed, the River Till together with its tributaries, is almost wholly within England but is included for completeness of the Tweed catchment.
Tweed catchment
Simple coastal catchments
Tyne catchment
Firth of Forth
Esk catchment
Water of Leith catchment
Almond catchment
Avon catchment
Carron catchment
Flowing into the North Sea between Kincardine and Buddon Ness
Forth catchment
Simple coastal catchments
Eden catchment
Tay catchment
Simple coastal catchments
Flowing into the North Sea between Buddon Ness and Rattray Head
Simple coastal catchments
River South Esk catchment
River North Esk catchment
Simple coastal catchments
Dee catchment
Don catchment
Simple coastal catchments
Ythan catchment
Simple coastal catchments
Flowing into the North Sea between Rattray Head and Inverness
at Aberlour
is crossed by the Highland Main Line railway and the A9 road just east of Tomatin
Simple coastal catchments
Deveron catchment
Simple coastal catchments
Spey catchment
Lossie catchment
Findhorn catchment
Nairn catchment
Ness catchment
Flowing into the North Sea between Inverness and Duncansby Head
Moniack catchment
Beauly catchment
Conon catchment
Simple coastal catchments
Carron catchment
Oykel catchment
Shin catchment
Simple coastal catchments
Brora catchment
Simple coastal catchments
Wick catchment
Flowing into the Atlantic Ocean between Dunnet Head and Cape Wrath
Thurso catchment
Hope catchment
Simple coastal catchments
Flowing into the Atlantic Ocean between Cape Wrath and Corpach at the head of Loch Linnhe
Simple coastal catchments
Kirkaig catchment
Simple coastal catchments
Ewe catchment
Simple coastal catchments
Shiel catchment
Simple coastal catchments
Aline catchment
Simple coastal catchments
Flowing into the Atlantic Ocean between Corpach at the head of Loch Linnhe and the Mull of Kintyre
Awe catchment
Simple coastal catchments
Rivers discharging into the Firth of Clyde between the Mull of Kintyre and Mull of Galloway. Rivers on Arran are found in the islands section.
Simple coastal catchments
Clyde catchment
Simple coastal catchments
Garnock catchment
Irvine catchment
Ayr catchment
Doon catchment
Simple coastal catchments
Mull of Galloway to Gretna; rivers flowing into the Irish Sea and Solway Firth
Water of Luce catchment
Bladnoch catchment
Cree catchment
Water of Fleet catchment
Dee catchment
Urr catchment
Nith catchment
Minor catchment
Annan catchment
Esk catchment
Further tributaries of the Esk lie wholly in England - see List of rivers of England.

Rivers on Scottish islands

Most of the Scottish islands are too small to maintain watercourses of any great length or size, and are frequently indented by numerous long bays and inlets which further break up the landscape. However a disproportionate number of their watercourses bear the name 'river', though many are relatively tiny.

Arran

Islay
Jura
Mull
Rùm
Isle of Skye
Lewis
Mainland
Mainland
Various measurements are provided for the lengths of Scottish rivers. The table below distinguishes between the river alone and the river plus tidal waters, which many sources use. In all cases the distance is for the longest distance through the catchment area not just the distance of that portion of it which the named river covers excluding upstream tributaries.
RiverRiver LengthRiver + Estuary LengthNotes
River TayThe Tay-Tummel-Gaur from its source, Coirean Lochan by Stob Ghabhar, to a line from Budden Ness to Tentsmuir Point.
River SpeyThe Spey is the longest stretch of river in Scotland bearing the same name throughout, though that does include Loch Insh.
River ClydeThe river length is measured to Dumbarton Rock, the estuary to the Firth of Clyde at Ardmore Point.
River TweedThe lower reaches of the Tweed are in England.
River Dee, Aberdeenshire
River ForthThe river is measured to the Kincardine Bridge, the estuary to easternmost point of Inchgarvie by the Forth Bridge.
River Don
River NessThe Ness-Oich-Garry. No account is taken of the Inverness Firth.
River Findhorn
River NithAt low tide, the sea recedes to such an extent that the length of the river is extended by.
River Deveron
River BeaulyThe Beauly-Glass-Affric with the estuary measured to the Kessock Bridge.
River Dee, GallowayThe Dee-Ken-Water of Deuch. At low tide, the length is extended by 2.9 km.
River CononThe estuary is measured to Invergordon Harbour/ Newhall Point.
River LochyThe Lochy-Spean to Loch Linnhe at mouth of the River Nevis.
River South Esk, Angus
River Annan

Listing by area of catchment

The major rivers of Scotland, in order of catchment, are:
  1. River Tay c.
  2. River Tweed
  3. River Spey
Note: Imperial figures from quoted source; and metric figures less certain.

Shared names

A number of Scottish rivers have identical or very similar names which can be a source of confusion. These are some of the main ones. The symbol '>' is used here to signify 'tributary of':
Ale
Allan
Almond
Avon
Ba
Bannock Burn
Barr
Black Burn
Black Water
Calder
Carron
Conon
Dee
Dibidal, Dibidil
Dorback
Douglas
Eden
Elrick
Enrick, Endrick
Esk, North Esk, South Esk
Gala
Garry
Glass
Glenmore
Isla
Kilmory
Kinglas, Kinglass
Kinloch
Ledmore
Leven
Lochy, Lochay
Lunan
Lyne
Machrie
Meggat, Megget
Mor
Shiel
Tarf, Tarff