Achairn Burn

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Achairn Burn, known also as Haster Burn, is one of the major tributaries of Wick River, in Caithness, in the Highland area of Scotland. The burn's source is in headwaters flowing from the northern slope of the Hill of Toftgunn, which rises to over 170 metres, and in Camster Loch, which is at nearly 120 metres, between the Hill of Toftgunn and Ballharn Hill. The same area feeds also another major tributary of Wick River, the Camster/Rowans-Strath Burn. Achairn Burn enters Wick River at Mary Ford, about 10 kilometres to the northeast of the burn's source. Its entire course is within Caithness, as is the whole of the catchment basin of Wick River.

Tributary stream or river that flows into a main stem river or lake

A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drainage basin of its surface water and groundwater, leading the water out into an ocean.

Wick River river in the United Kingdom

Wick River, known also as River Wick, is a river in Caithness in Highland, Scotland. It has its source at the confluence of Scouthal Burn and Strath Burn near Achingale Mill at the northern end of Bardarclay Moss in the Flow Country. The river estuary, is in the North Sea bay of Wick and is straddled by the town of Wick. The source is at a height of about 25 metres, about 11 kilometres west and 2 kilometres north of the estuary.

Caithness Historic county in Scotland

Caithness is a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland.

Between its source and Maryford the burn's course describes a sort of reversed S-shape, flowing generally north, then turning east and east/southeast before turning north again. On its banks the burn has Upper Achairn, Lower Achairn, Puldagon, and Haster. Between Upper Achairn and Lower Achairn the burn receives water from Allt Beag-airighe (Burn of the Small Shieling). In the Puldagon area it is bridged by a small, single-track road linking the A882 road, near the Bridge of Haster, with the A99 road in the Thrumster area. The Bridge of Haster carries the A882 itself, about 3 kilometres west of Wick and about one kilometre south of Maryford.

Haster

Haster is a small remote rural hamlet and district in Wick, in the Highland area of Scotland. It is located just west of the Bridge of Haster, which carries the A882 road linking the burghs of Wick and Thurso over Achairn Burn to the main A9 road. It is about four kilometres west of Wick and about eight kilometres east of Watten. An older centre is about one kilometre to the south.

Road A demarcated land route with a suitable surface between places

A road is a thoroughfare, route, or way on land between two places that has been paved or otherwise improved to allow travel by foot or some form of conveyance, including a motor vehicle, cart, bicycle, or horse.

The A882 road is entirely within Caithness in the Highland area of Scotland. It has a length of about 23 kilometres (14 mi) and runs generally west/northwest from the A99 in the county town of Wick to the A9 in the Georgemas area.

Grid references

Grid references are generally in order from source to Maryford:

Coordinates: 58°21′49″N3°14′48″W / 58.3635°N 3.2468°W / 58.3635; -3.2468

Geographic coordinate system Coordinate system

A geographic coordinate system is a coordinate system that enables every location on Earth to be specified by a set of numbers, letters or symbols. The coordinates are often chosen such that one of the numbers represents a vertical position and two or three of the numbers represent a horizontal position; alternatively, a geographic position may be expressed in a combined three-dimensional Cartesian vector. A common choice of coordinates is latitude, longitude and elevation. To specify a location on a plane requires a map projection.


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