River Teith

Castle Pool, a mile downstream from Doune

The River Teith is a river 70 miles long in Perthshire, which becomes a tributary of the River Forth at the Stirlingshire border.

The Teith is formed from the meeting of two smaller rivers, the Garbh Uisge (River Leny) and Eas Gobhain at Callander, Perthshire. It flows into the River Forth near Drip, just to the north-west of Stirling.

Name

The name 'Teith' comes from the Scottish Gaelic Uisge Theamhich, which means the "quiet and pleasant water".

Course

The Teith is formed from the confluence of two smaller rivers: one from Loch Venachar, the Eas Gobhain which translates as "the smith's cascade", and one from Loch Lubnaig - Garbh Uisge which translates as "the rough water". The river flows through Callander and is joined by the Keltie Water a mile south of Keltie Bridge.

The Teith continues to Deanston and Doune, overlooked by Doune Castle, where the Ardoch Burn meets it, before its confluence with the Forth upstream of Stirling.

The Forth is here the smaller river, so technically the Forth may be considered a tributary of the Teith, but the name of the Forth continues upstream on the lesser water.

Importance

The Ardoch meets the Teith below Doune

The Teith is renowned for its fishing and for the splendid arched bridge half a mile southwest of Doune.

The Deanston Distillery near Doune uses the Teith to supply water for the manufacture of Deanston Single Malt Whisky.

The 'Brig o' Teith' was constructed in 1535 by Robert Spittal, a Royal tailor to Mary Queen of Scots. According to Charles Roger in 'A Week at Bridge of Allan 1851', a ferryman refused Spittal passage across the Teith as he did not have his purse and could not pay. The bridge was built in retaliation.

Outside links

• Location map: 56°7’59"N, 3°58’59"W
• "Forth District Salmon Fishery Board"
• "River Forth Fisheries Trust"
• "Doune Historical Notes - Moray S MacKay