Avon Water, also known locally as the River Avon, is a

river A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of w ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...

, and a

tributary A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drai ...

of the River Clyde.

Course

The Avon Water rises in the hills on the boundary between

East Ayrshire East Ayrshire ( sco, Aest Ayrshire; gd, Siorrachd Àir an Ear) is one of thirty-two council areas of Scotland. It shares borders with Dumfries and Galloway, East Renfrewshire, North Ayrshire, South Ayrshire and South Lanarkshire. The headquar ...

and South Lanarkshire, close to the head of the Irvine Water. The river flows in a north easterly direction, following the

A71 road The A71 is a major road in Scotland linking Edinburgh with Lanarkshire and Ayrshire. It adjoins the Livingston Bypass A899. It runs south west from Edinburgh for approximately 70 miles, through Saughton, Wilkieston and south of Livingston, ...

past Drumclog, and running to the south of

Strathaven Strathaven (; from gd, Strath Aibhne ) is a historic market town in South Lanarkshire, Scotland and is the largest settlement in Avondale. It is south of Hamilton. The Powmillon Burn runs through the town centre, and joins the Avon Water to the ...

, where the river enters a more pronounced valley. The Avon flows between the village of

Glassford Glassford (; locally known as ''The Glesart'' ) is a small village located south of Hamilton, and north-east of Strathaven, in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. It has a population of roughly 500–600 people. Features include the 19th-century P ...

, and Stonehouse to the south, before merging with the smaller Cander Water just south of

Larkhall Larkhall ( sco, Larkhauch, gd, Taigh na h-Uiseig) is a town in South Lanarkshire, Scotland, around southeast of Glasgow. It is twinned with Seclin in northern France. Larkhall sits on high ground between the River Clyde to the East and the ...

. The river then skirts the west side of Larkhall in a deepening gorge, crossed by the disused Larkhall railway viaduct, built in 1904 for the

Caledonian Railway The Caledonian Railway (CR) was a major Scottish railway company. It was formed in the early 19th century with the objective of forming a link between English railways and Glasgow. It progressively extended its network and reached Edinburgh an ...

. Beyond this the gorge is part of Chatelherault Country Park, to the south of

Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: People * Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname ** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland ** Lord Hamilt ...

. There are several public footpaths along this section of the gorge, although the area was once the preserve of the Duke of Hamilton, forming the hunting and pleasure grounds of the Dukes' former home,

Hamilton Palace Hamilton Palace was a country house in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, Scotland. The former seat of the Dukes of Hamilton, it dated from the 14th century and was subsequently much enlarged in the 17th and 19th centuries.Cadzow Castle, started in the 13th century, and the Cadzow Oaks, a group of

oak An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ''L ...

trees, some of which are over 600 years old. The river bends to the east at the end of the gorge between the villages of

Barncluith Barncluith is an area of Hamilton in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. Barncluith forms the south-eastern part of the town, between the urban centre and the Avon Water. It lies either side of Carlisle Road ( A72), which leads out of Hamilton to Chatelh ...

and

Ferniegair Ferniegair is a village across the Avon Water from Hamilton, on the A72 road to Larkhall in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. The village contains the entrance to Chatelherault Country Park and Hamilton Golf Club. The railway station was re-opened ...

, flowing beneath three

listed Listed may refer to: * Listed, Bornholm, a fishing village on the Danish island of Bornholm * Listed (MMM program), a television show on MuchMoreMusic * Endangered species in biology * Listed building, in architecture, designation of a historicall ...

stone bridges: a viaduct carrying the

Argyle Line The Argyle Line is a suburban railway located in West Central Scotland. The line serves the commercial and shopping districts of Glasgow's central area, and connects towns from West Dunbartonshire to South Lanarkshire. Named for Glasgow's Argyl ...

railway tracks, carrying the A72 road, and the , now a footbridge. The Avon Water flows north beneath the

M74 motorway The A74(M) and M74 form a major motorway in Scotland, connecting it to England. The routes connect the M8 motorway in central Glasgow to the Scottish-English border at Gretna. In conjunction with their southward continuation, the M6 motorw ...

, merging into the Clyde between Hamilton and Motherwell, beside Junction 6 of the M74.

Avon River, New Zealand

The Avon River which flows through the centre of the city

Christchurch Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon Rive ...

, New Zealand was named Avon at the request of the pioneering Deans brothers to commemorate this Scottish Avon, which rises in the Ayrshire hills near what was their grandfathers' farm,Christchurch New Zealand
/ref> Over Auchentiber.

Etymology

The name ''Avon'' is derived from the

Brittonic Brittonic or Brythonic may refer to: *Common Brittonic, or Brythonic, the Celtic language anciently spoken in Great Britain *Brittonic languages, a branch of the Celtic languages descended from Common Brittonic *Britons (Celtic people) The Br ...

*''āβonā-'' (from ''āβ'', "moving water", with the suffix ''–onā-''), the word ancestral to

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...

''afon'', meaning "a river".

References

External links

* {{Authority control Rivers of South Lanarkshire River Clyde Hamilton, South Lanarkshire