River Tweed

The River Tweed, or Tweed Water, is a river Template:Convert long that flows east across the Border region in Scotland and northern England. Tweed cloth derives its name from its association with the River Tweed. The Tweed is one of the great salmon rivers of Britain and the only river in England where an Environment Agency rod licence is not required for angling. The river generates a large income for the local borders region, attracting anglers from all around the world.

Etymology

Tweed may represent an Old Brittonic name meaning "border". A doubtful proposal is that the name is derived from a non-Celtic form of the Indo-European root *teuha- meaning "swell, grow powerful".

Course

File:Tweed.tributaries.jpg

The catchment area of the Tweed

The River Tweed flows primarily through the scenic Borders region of Scotland. Eastwards from the settlements on opposing banks of Birgham and Carham it forms the historic boundary between Scotland and England.

It rises in the Lowther Hills at Tweed's Well near the rising points of the Clyde -- draining northwest (Template:Convert from the Tweed's Well) -- and the Annan, draining south (Template:Convert from the Tweed's Well).

"Annan, Tweed and Clyde rise oot the ae hillside" is a saying from the Border region. East of Kelso, it becomes a section of the eastern part of the border. Entering England, its lower reaches are in Northumberland, where it enters the North Sea at Berwick-upon-Tweed.

Catchment

The river east of St Boswells runs through a drumlin field. It is the relic of a paleo-ice stream that flowed through the area during the last glaciation. Major towns through which the Tweed flows include Innerleithen, Peebles, Galashiels, Melrose, Kelso, Coldstream and Berwick-upon-Tweed, where it flows into the North Sea. Tweed tributaries include:

• Whiteadder Water
  • Blackadder Water
• River Till
• Eden Water
• Teviot Water
• Leader Water
• Ettrick Water
  • Yarrow Water
  • Tima Water
• Gala Water
• Leithen Water
• Quair Water
• Eddleston Water
• Manor Water
• Lyne Water
• Holms Water

The upper parts of the catchment of the Tweed in Scotland form the area known as Tweeddale, part of which is protected as the Upper Tweeddale National Scenic Area, one of 40 such areas in Scotland which are defined so as to identify areas of exceptional scenery and to ensure its protection from inappropriate development.

Management

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River Tweed Trail

Template:As of, work is in progress on the development of a Template:Convert walking and cycling route following the length of the river from Moffat to Berwick-on-Tweed. The work includes new sections of path, upgrades to existing paths, bridge replacement and repairs, pedestrian road crossings, lighting and signage. The path is expected to be completed during 2028.

Gallery

• The River Tweed at Abbotsford, near Melrose
  The River Tweed at Abbotsford, near Melrose
• The River Tweed from Mertoun House, near St Boswells
  The River Tweed from Mertoun House, near St Boswells
• The Anglo-Scottish border, with the Tweed on the east. Its estuary and the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed were a late annexation by England.
  The Anglo-Scottish border, with the Tweed on the east. Its estuary and the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed were a late annexation by England.
• The Union Chain Bridge spanning the Tweed between Horncliffe, England and Fishwick, Scotland
  The Union Chain Bridge spanning the Tweed between Horncliffe, England and Fishwick, Scotland

See also

• Anglo–Scottish border
• Both sides the Tweed
• List of places in the Scottish Borders
• List of rivers of the United Kingdom
• Rivers and Fisheries Trusts of Scotland

External links

• British Waterways: River Tweed
• The River Tweed Commission website Template:Webarchive
• The Tweed Foundation
• Tweed Forum website
• River Tweed: Special Area of Conservation (SAC)
• SEPA (Scottish Environment Protection Agency): River Level Data Template:Webarchive
• River Tweed map
• Gazetteer for Scotland: River Tweed
• Paper describing palaeo-icestream and landforms in the Tweed Valley
• Map and aerial photo sources for Template:Mmukscaled and Template:Mmukscaled
• Open Canoe Hire Specialists