Rivers in Scotland - Shared Names

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

• Ale Water ( > Eye Water, Eyemouth); Ale Water ( > Tweed)

Allan

• Allan Water ( > Forth); Allan Water ( > Teviot > Tweed)

Almond

• River Almond (Lothian); River Almond ( > Tay)

Avon

• River Avon (Falkirk); River Avon ( > Spey); Avon Water ( > Clyde)

Ba

• River Ba (Mull); River Bà (Rannoch Moor)

Bannock Burn

• Bannock Burn ( > River Helmsdale); Bannock Burn ( > Forth)

Barr

• Barr River (Morvern); Barr River ( > River Laggan, Islay); Barr Water (Kintyre)

Black Burn

• Black Burn - commonly occurring including Lossie, Tweed, Water of Luce

Black Water

• Black Water -very frequent

Calder

• River Calder ( > Spey, Highand); North Calder Water ( > Clyde); South Calder Water ( > Clyde)

Carron

• River Carron (Forth); River Carron (Sutherland); River Carron (Wester Ross); Carron Water (Aberdeenshire); Carron Water ( > Nith)

Conon

• River Conon (Skye); River Conon ( > Cromarty Firth)

Dee

• River Dee, Aberdeenshire (Aberdeen); River Dee (Galloway)

Dibidal, Dibidil

• Dibidal River (Skye); Dibidil River (Rùm)

Dorback

• Dorback Burn ( > Nethy > Spey); Dorback Burn ( > Findhorn)

Douglas

• Douglas Water ( > Clyde); Douglas Water (Loch Lomond); Douglas Water (Loch Fyne)

Eden

• Eden Water (Tweed); River Eden (Fife)

Elrick

• Elrick Burn (Don); Elrick Burn (Findhorn)

Enrick, Endrick

• River Endrick (Loch Lomond); River Enrick (Loch Ness)

Esk, North Esk, South Esk

• River Esk, Dumfries and Galloway ('Border Esk'), River Esk, Lothian (Lothian); River North Esk; River North Esk (Lothian); River South Esk; River South Esk (Lothian)

Gala

• Gala Lane (Loch Doon); Gala Water ( > Tweed)

Garry

• River Garry (Loch Oich); River Garry ( > Tummel > Tay)

Glass

• River Glass (Easter Ross); River Glass, Strathglass ( > Beauly)

Glenmore

• Glenmore River; Glenmore River

Isla

• River Isla ( > Deveron); River Isla ( > Tay)

Kilmory

• Kilmory River (Rùm); Kilmory Water

Kinglas, Kinglass

• Kinglas Water; River Kinglass

Kinloch

• Kinloch River (Rùm); Kinloch River; Kinloch River

Ledmore

• Ledmore River (Kirkaig); Ledmore River (Mull)

Leven

• River Leven (Argyll); River Leven ( > Clyde); River Leven, Fife (Fife)

Lochy, Lochay

• River Lochay (Tay); River Lochy (Great Glen); River Lochy (Awe)

Lunan

• Lunan Burn (Tay); Lunan Water

Lyne

• River Lyne (Border Esk); Lyne Water (Tweed)

Machrie

• Machrie River (Islay); Machrie Water (Arran)

Meggat, Megget

• Meggat Water ( > Border Esk); Megget Water ( > Tweed)

Mor (This is merely a Gaelic adjective meaning "large" or "great")

• Abhainn Mór (Arran); Abhainn Mor (Kirkaig)

Shiel

• River Shiel (Loch Shiel); River Shiel ( > Loch Duich)

Tarf, Tarff

• Tarf Water ( > Tilt > Garry > Tummel >Tay); Tarf Water ( > River Bladnoch (Galloway)); Tarff Water ( > River Dee, Galloway); River Tarff, Fort Augustus ( > Loch Ness); Water of Tarf ( > River North Esk,Angus/Aberdeenshire )