The River Nairn (Scottish Gaelic : Narann / Abhainn Narann) is a 35 mile long [1] river in the Scottish Highlands.
The hydronym Nairn is Pictish in origin. [2] The name may involve *Naverna, of which the ultimate genesis is the Celtic root *(s)naf meaning "flow, swim" (c.f. Welsh nawf). [2] The toponym Nevern in Wales may be identically derived. [2]
The River Nairn rises in the Monadhliath Mountains and flows northeast through Strathnairn to enter the Moray Firth at Nairn. The headwaters of the Nairn, the Allt Mor and Crom-allt Beag drop steeply down the western slopes of Càrn Ghriogair, their combined waters flowing beneath the B851 road and turning northeastwards. The young River Nairn is soon joined by the diminutive River Brin on the right bank and later by a burn draining the sizeable Loch Duntelchaig on the left. The River Farnack is the next right bank tributary, followed by the Craggie Burn near the A9 road crossing of the Nairn at Daviot.
The river continues to flow past Drummossie Moor which lies to its northwest and indeed past Culloden Moor, site of the battle in 1746. Passing beneath the Culloden Viaduct carrying the mainline railway between Perth and Inverness, it then runs between Culloden Forest and Assich Forest to pass beneath the B9090 road between Clephanton and Cawdor. Its last major tributary, the Allt Dearg joins from the right and the river continues northeastwards passing beneath the B9090 once again before reaching the town of Nairn.
The Allt Dearg and its major tributary the Riereach Burn rise on the northern slopes of Carn nan Trì Tighearnan and flow north to meet the Nairn. [3]
Highland is a council area in the Scottish Highlands and is the largest local government area in the United Kingdom. It was the 7th most populous council area in Scotland at the 2011 census. It has land borders with the council areas of Aberdeenshire, Argyll and Bute, Moray and Perth and Kinross. The wider upland area of the Scottish Highlands after which the council area is named extends beyond the Highland council area into all the neighbouring council areas plus Angus and Stirling.
Inverness is a city in the Scottish Highlands, having been granted city status in 2000. It is the administrative centre for The Highland Council and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands.
Beinn Dearg is the fourth highest of the Torridon Hills in the highlands of Scotland. Beinn Dearg offers all the typical features of a Torridon hill, with steeply terraced rocky sides dissected by near vertical gullies. The summit ridge is an airy crest that offers some easy scrambling; alternatively this can be avoided by following a path that traverses the terraces on the southern side.
The River Spey is a river in the northeast of Scotland. At 98 mi (158 km) it is the eighth longest river in the United Kingdom and the second longest and fastest-flowing river in Scotland. (The Tay is the longest with the Clyde third in Scotland. It is an important location for the traditions of salmon fishing and whisky production in Scotland.
The River Shin is a river in the Scottish North West Highlands.
The River Findhorn is one of the longest rivers in Scotland. Located in the north east, it flows into the Moray Firth on the north coast. It has one of the largest non-firth estuaries in Scotland.
Aberchalder is a small settlement and estate at the northern end of Loch Oich in the Scottish Highlands and is in the Highland council area of Scotland. It lies on the A82 road and is situated in two parishes, Boleskine and Kilmonivaig. Fort Augustus is within 5 mi (8.0 km).
The Monadhliath Mountains, or Monadh Liath, are a range of mountains in Scotland. Monadh Liath is Scottish Gaelic, and means "grey mountain range". Running in a northeast to southwest direction, it lies on the western side of Strathspey, to the west of the Cairngorms and to the south east of Loch Ness. Its southwestern limit is usually taken to be Corrieyairack Pass (763m) but similar uplands continue to Glen Roy and Spean Bridge. The range is within the Highland council area, and the south and east fringes are within the Cairngorms National Park. The high point of the range is Càrn Dearg, at 945 metres (3,100 ft), located 40 kilometres (25 mi) south of Inverness. This is one of four Munros in the Monadhliath, the others being A'Chailleach, Geal Chàrn, and Càrn Sgulain. The Monadhliath Mountains are designated a Special Area of Conservation (SAC).
The River Conon is a river in the Highlands of Scotland. It begins at Loch Luichart, and flows in a south-easterly direction to be joined by the River Meig at Scatwell before passing through Loch Achonachie. It is joined by the Black Water at Moy Bridge, and the River Orrin at Urray, before flowing past Conon Bridge and into the Cromarty Firth.
The River Truim is a right bank tributary of the River Spey in the Scottish Highlands. Its headwaters meet to the north of the Pass of Drumochter and flow northwards as the Truim past the dam at the northern end of Loch Ericht and through the village of Dalwhinnie, highest village in the Scottish Highlands. The distillery at Dalwhinnie producing Dalwhinnie Single Malt is also the highest in Scotland. The waters of its most significant tributary, the Allt Cuaich, are diverted in part along an aqueduct to Loch Ericht. The river continues north-northeastwards down Glen Truim, over the Falls of Truim and on to meet the Spey 2.5 miles (4 km) southwest of Newtonmore. It is closely followed for almost its entire length by both the A9 road and the mainline railway from Perth to Inverness.
The River Garry is a major tributary of the River Tummel, itself a tributary of the River Tay, in the traditional county of Perthshire in the Scottish Highlands. It emerges from the northeastern end of Loch Garry (56.8193°N 4.2311°W), just to the southeast of the Pass of Drumochter, and flows southeastwards and eastwards down Glen Garry to the narrow Pass of Killiecrankie beyond which it joins the Tummel (56.7182°N 3.7790°W).
The River Fiddich is a right bank tributary of the River Spey in northeast Scotland. It rises on the eastern slopes of Corriehabbie Hill in Glenfiddich Forest and flows northeastwards beneath the A941 road, past Auchindoun Castle to a sharp bend adjacent to the A920 road where it turns westwards to flow to Dufftown. The Fiddich is joined on the eastern edge of the town by the Dullan Water which drains Glen Rinnes. Their combined waters then flow generally northwestwards, passing beneath the B9014 road near Balvenie Castle and then the A95 at Craigellachie immediately before meeting the Spey.
The River Nethy is a right bank tributary of the River Spey in northeast Scotland. It rises as the Garbh Allt between Cairn Gorm and A' Chòinneach on the northern slopes of the Cairngorms and flows northwards through Strath Nethy and into Abernethy Forest. Passing through Nethy Bridge where the B970 road crosses the river and gives its name to the village, the Nethy turns northwestward before entering the Spey at Broomhill. Numerous burns feed the Nethy, the most significant of which is the Dorback Burn which enters from its right bank a mile above Nethy Bridge.
The River Calder is a left bank tributary of the River Spey in the Scottish Highlands. Its headwaters are the t-Allt Ballach, Allt an Lochain Dubh and Allt Madagain which drain the mountain slopes at the southeastern corner of the Monadhliath. Their waters are added to by those of the Allt Fionndraigh and Allt a' Chaorainn dropping down into Glen Banchor from the north. The river turns southeastwards and skirts the western edge of Newtonmore, running beneath the A86 road before joining the Spey at Spey Bridge.
A network of military roads, sometimes called General Wade's Military Roads, was constructed in the Scottish Highlands during the middle part of the 18th century in the wake of the Jacobite rebellion of 1715.
Strathnairn is an area of the Scottish Highlands approximately 8 miles southwest of Inverness, bordering the Monadhliath Mountains. The Strath's borders reach to the north where Clava cairn and the Battle of Culloden lie, following the River Nairn south through Daviot, Farr, Brin, Croachy, and finally ending near Dunmaglass.
The Culloden Viaduct is a railway viaduct on the Highland Main Line, to the east of the city of Inverness, in the Highland council area of Scotland.
Murdoch Paterson was an engineer and architect based in Inverness, Scotland, who was chief engineer of the Highland Railway.
Gairn Water, situated in the Cairngorms National Park, is a river in Scotland with an elevation of 899 feet and a length of 4.75 kilometres.