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River Nith

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River Nith
The estuary o the River Nith, appenin intil the Solway Firth sooth o Dumfries
KintraScotland
Basin
Main sourceEnoch Hill
55°00′N 3°36′W / 55.000°N 3.600°W / 55.000; -3.600Coordinates: 55°00′N 3°36′W / 55.000°N 3.600°W / 55.000; -3.600
River moothSolway Firth
Basin size1,230 km2 (470 sq mi)[1]
Pheesical chairacteristics
Lenth71 mi (114 km)[2]

The River Nith (Scots Gaelic: Abhainn Nid; Laitin: Novius[3]) is a river in soothwast Scotland. The Nith rises in the Carsphairn Hills o East Ayrshire, mair preceese atween Prickeny Hill an Enoch Hill, 4.4 mile east o Dawmellinton.[4] For maist o its coorse it flowes in a soothlins direction throu Dumfries an Gallowa an syne intil the Solway Firth at Airds Pynt.[4]

The laund that the river flowes throu is cawed Nithsdale (historical kent as "Stranit" fae the Scots Gaelic Strath Nin ("dale o the Nith").

For estuarys the principle follaed is that the river shoud be veesible at aw times. The meisurment tharefore follaes the centre o the river at law tide and the mooth o the river is assume't tae be at the coastal heigh tide merk. In Scotland this daesna general mak a signeeficant difference, except for rivers soukin intae shallae slopin saunds o the Sheuch an Solway Firth, like the Nith. At law tide, the sea ebbs tae sic an extent that the lenth o the Nith is eikit bi 8 mile tae 70.7 mile, makkin it Scotland's seivent langest river.

Pertectit auries

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The estuary o the River Nith is an international important winter feedin site for waders, geese, an ither watterfowl,[5] an is for this raison pertectit at an international level as a pairt o the Upper Solway Flats and Marshes Ramsar Site an Speicial Pertection Aurie.[6][7] The SPA uphauds virtual the enteer Svalbard population o claik guiss durin the winter.[8]

The aurie forms an aw a pairt o the Solway Firth Speicial Aurie o Conservin, that is pertectit acause o the praisence o several priority habitats, an as weel as populations o sea lamper eel (Petromyzon marinus) an river lamper eel (Lampetra fluviatilis).[9] At a national level, the aurie is a Site o Speicial Scienteefic Interest an is within the Caerlaverock National Naitur Reserve.[10]

The Nith Estuary National Scenic Aurie goams the scenic value o the aurie.[11] It is ane o 40 sic auries in Scotland, that is define't sae as tae identify auries o kenspeckle scenery an tae mak siccar its pertection fae inappropriate development bi restrictin certaint forms o development.[12] The Nith Estuary NSA kivers 35,428 acre in tot, conseestin o 35,361 acre o laund an intertidal saund-and-mudflets, as weel as a forder 69 acre that is ablo law watter.[13] Management o the NSA is the responsibeelity o the Dumfries an Gallowa Cooncil, that haes producet a management strategy for the aurie.[14]

Watters

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Fae up the stream tae doun the stream:

Sattlements

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The Nith near Carronbrig.
The Nith at Ellisland Farm.

References

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  1. "The River Nith Catchment Management Plan" Scottish Environment Protection Agency Archived 2011-07-27 at the Wayback Machine
  2. "River Nith (East Ayrshire)"
  3. 'Celtic Scotland' advertisement on google books
  4. a b "Almanac of Scotland"
  5. "The special qualities of the National Scenic Areas" (PDF). Scottish Natural Heritage. 2010. pp. 33–40. Retrieved 24 Januar 2018.
  6. "Site Details for Upper Solway Flats and Marshes Ramsar Site". Scottish Natural Heritage. 2 Mey 2018. Archived frae the original on 15 Mey 2018. Retrieved 14 Mey 2018.
  7. "Site Details for Upper Solway Flats and Marshes SP". Scottish Natural Heritage. 2 Mey 2018. Archived frae the original on 17 Juin 2015. Retrieved 14 Mey 2018.
  8. "Upper Solway Flats and Marshes SPA Descrition". Joint Nature Conservation Committee. 21 Julie 2005. Archived frae the original on 17 Juin 2015. Retrieved 14 Mey 2018.
  9. "Site Details for Solway Firth SAC". Scottish Natural Heritage. 2 Mey 2018. Archived frae the original on 15 Mey 2018. Retrieved 14 Mey 2018.
  10. "Caerlaverock: Designations". Scotland's National Nature Reserves. Archived frae the original on 8 August 2014. Retrieved 16 Apryle 2012.
  11. "Nith Estuary National Scenic Area". Scotland’s Scenic Heritage. Countryside Commission for Scotland. 1978. Archived frae the original on 3 Mairch 2016. Retrieved 16 Apryle 2012.
  12. "National Scenic Areas". Scottish Natural Heritage. Retrieved 17 Januar 2018.
  13. "National Scenic Areas - Maps". SNH. 20 December 2010. Archived frae the original on 12 Juin 2018. Retrieved 14 Mey 2018.
  14. "Nith Estuary NSA - Management Strategy" (PDF). Dumfries and Galloway Council. Retrieved 14 Mey 2018.
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