The River Nith is a river in south-west Scotland. Its source is located in East Ayrshire, between Prickeny Hill and Enoch Hill in the Carsphairn Hills. It slows into the Solway Firth at Airds Point.
Facts About the River Nith
- The River Nith is 114 km (71 miles) long.
- The valley it flows through is known as Nithsdale.
- The River Nith has numerous tributaries, including Connel Burn, Kello Water, Euchan Water, Carron Water, Scar Water, Cluden Water, Cargen Pow, and New Abbey Pow.
- The river flows through or by the villages of Carronbridge, Kirkconnel, Sanquhar, Mennock, Thornhill, and Glencaple, and the towns of Dumfries and New Cumnock.
- The River Nith is Scotland’s seventh longest river.
- The upper reaches of the River Nith have been diverted several times to allow coal deposits under the river to be mined.
- The River Nith flows past Corsencon Hill. Situated in the east of the parish of New Cumnock, Corsencon Hill, and the River Nith are mentioned in the O, Were I On Parnassus Hill poem by Robert Burns.
- One of the herons who lived on the banks of the River Nith in Dumfries was named Huffy the Heron. He became the subject of a poem by Susi Briggs.
- Otters and kingfishers are often seen on the River Nith.
- The A75 road crosses the River Nith three times.
- Constructed in 1875, the Dumfries Suspension Bridge stretches over the River Nith. It is a pedestrian bridge, and it is known locally as the Children’s Bridge.
- The Devorgilla’s Bridge over the River Nith in Dumfries is one of Scotland’s oldest bridges still in use. Named after the woman who ordered its construction, Lady Devorgilla, the bridge was completed in around 1270. It was initially made from wood, but it was replaced by a stone structure in 1432, rebuilt again in 1621, and improved in 1794.
Visit our Rivers resources page, or learn more about some of the UK’s largest rivers.
