River Nevis
The River Nevis, named for the mightiest of British mountains, Ben Nevis, in whose shadow it flows, runs through Inverness-shire, from the mountains east of Ben Nevis to Loch Linnhe, its mouth near the town of Fort William.
On its course, the river carves Glen Nevis, a deep green path through the mountains.
Course
The river rises in the Mamores, the mountain range adjacent to the Nevis Range. Its source is about halfway between Ben Nevis and Loch Treig (56°46’56"N, 4°53’13"W) at 1,214 feet above sea level.
In its upper reaches the stream is known as Water of Nevis, becoming River Nevis at the bridge near Achriabhach. It is partly fed by the Steall Waterfall, one of the highest waterfalls in the United Kingdom.[1]
From the Steall fall, the river flows through Glen Nevis and on down to Fort William which sits at the lochside. By Fort William the river is crossed by the Nevis Bridge on the A82 road and soon it opens into the sea, its mouth within the estuary of the River Lochy opening into the sea loch Loch Linnhe.
Historical interest
During the Battle of Inverlochy in 1645, Archibald Campbell, 1st Marquess of Argyll| led his men across the glen while fleeing from the Royalist forces, and many were drowned in the river.[2] The river and Loch Linnhe were important natural defences considered in the construction of Fort William in the late 17th century.[2]
Leisure
The river has a salmon population which was threatened in the 1990s but has improved since. The river and its glen are tourist destinations for fishing, walking, cycling, canoeing and climbing,[3][4] and are regarded as among the most scenic destinations in the country.[5]
Several guidebooks document walking trails along the river, including the northern end of the West Highland Way. Upstream the river's depth varies widely dependent upon seasonal rainfall and snowmelt, and at Steall Meadows the river can be waded on foot at certain times; a three-wire simple suspension bridge is provided for when the flow does not permit this.[6]
For canoeists the upper reaches of the river at Scimitar Gorge, when swollen by heavy rainfall, are designated a Grade-5 stretch, demanding a very high level of concentration and skill and described as a "maelstrom of water".[7]
See also
References
- ↑ Glen Nevis on About Fort William
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 John Leonard Roberts (2000). Clan, King, and Covenant. Edinburgh University Press. pp. 69,208. ISBN 1843532697. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=C5qZ9rTRRIwC&pg=PA208&dq=%22River+Nevis%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=OI92UsHiJ-Sx0QW5joGoCw&ved=0CEsQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=%22River%20Nevis%22&f=false. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
- ↑ "River Nevis". Lochaber Fisheries Trust. http://www.lochaberfish.org.uk/river-nevis-information.asp. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
- ↑ David Else (2010). Great Britain. Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd. p. 914. ISBN 1742203418. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=6cBuHueeTCMC&pg=PA914&dq=River+Nevis&hl=en&sa=X&ei=5Vt2UpfEEsnH0QXax4HIBw&ved=0CEAQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=River%20Nevis&f=false. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
- ↑ Gary Latter (2008). Scottish Rock: South. Pesda Press. p. 223. ISBN 190609506X. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=Cy5GLF68jSsC&pg=PA223&dq=River+Nevis&hl=en&sa=X&ei=5Vt2UpfEEsnH0QXax4HIBw&ved=0CF0Q6AEwCA#v=onepage&q=River%20Nevis&f=false. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
- ↑ Sandra Bardwell (2007). Walking in Scotland. Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd. p. 128. ISBN 1741042038. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=jeEX74Vz-scC&printsec=frontcover&dq=River+Nevis&hl=en&sa=X&ei=_HR2UqYmytfRBYGFgMAL&ved=0CFMQ6AEwBzgU#v=onepage&q=River%20Nevis&f=false. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
- ↑ Scottish White Water: The SCA Official Guidebook, 2004 (Pedsa Press) ISBN 0954706110 pages 116-118