The River Leader, or Leader Water, is a small

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 drainage ...

of the

River Tweed The River Tweed, or Tweed Water ( gd, Abhainn Thuaidh, sco, Watter o Tweid, cy, Tuedd), is a river long that flows east across the Border region in Scotland and northern England. Tweed cloth derives its name from its association with the R ...

Lauderdale Lauderdale is the valley of the Leader Water (a tributary of the Tweed) in the Scottish Borders. It contains the town of Lauder, as well as Earlston. The valley is traversed from end to end by the A68 trunk road, which runs from Darlington to E ...

in the

Scottish Borders The Scottish Borders ( sco, the Mairches, 'the Marches'; gd, Crìochan na h-Alba) is one of 32 council areas of Scotland. It borders the City of Edinburgh, Dumfries and Galloway, East Lothian, Midlothian, South Lanarkshire, West Lothi ...

. It flows southwards from the

Lammermuir Hills The Lammermuirs are a range of hills in southern Scotland, forming a natural boundary between East Lothian and the Borders. The name "Lammermuir" comes from the Old English ''lambra mōr'', meaning "moorland of the lambs". Geology The Lammer ...

through the towns of

Lauder The former Royal Burgh of Lauder (, gd, Labhdar) is a town in the Scottish Borders in the Shires of Scotland, historic county of Berwickshire. On the Southern Upland Way, the burgh lies southeast of Edinburgh, on the western edge of the Lamme ...

and

Earlston Earlston ( sco, Yerlston; gd, Dùn Airchill) is a civil parish and market town in the county of Berwickshire, within the Scottish Borders. It is on the River Leader in Lauderdale, Scotland. Early history Earlston was originally called ''Arc ...

, joining the River Tweed at Leaderfoot.

Course

The feeder burns of the Leader Water are the Headshaw Burn, the Hillhouse Burn and the Kelphope Burn. They combine at the Carfrae mill hotel and the village of Oxton. The river is now sandwiched between the A68 and the A697, and it has absorbed the Cleekhimin Burn, Harry Burn, Washing Burn and Earnscleugh Burn. The Leader Water now passes to the east of the town of Lauder, by

Thirlestane Castle Thirlestane Castle is a castle set in extensive parklands near Lauder in the Borders of Scotland. The site is aptly named Castle Hill, as it stands upon raised ground. However, the raised land is within Lauderdale, the valley of the Leader Water ...

. The A679 bridges the river which continues past Lauder Barns, West Mains and St. Leonards where the Leader receives his final feeder burn, the Boondreigh Burn. It now sticks closely by the A68, near the

Whitslaid Tower Whitslaid Tower was an ancient Berwickshire seat of the Lauder family for over 300 years. It is today a ruin high above the eastern bank of the Leader Water, south of the burgh of Lauder, in the Scottish Borders. In feudal times it fell withi ...

, the Blainslies, Galadean,

Birkhill Birkhill and neighbouring Muirhead are two small villages in Angus, just to the west of Dundee, Scotland. Community features Features of Muirhead and Birkhill include: *A branch of the Co-op *A small hill known to locals as The Roundie *Birkhil ...

, Chapel-on-Leader and Leadervale. After passing through the outskirts of Earlston, the course of the river is almost done, as it skirts some woodland, and after passing

Drygrange St Andrew's College, Drygrange, located near Melrose, Scotland, was a Roman Catholic seminary founded in 1953 and closed in 1986. History Foundation Founded by Gordon Gray shortly after he became Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh, the c ...

, it joins the Tweed at

Leaderfoot Viaduct The Leaderfoot Viaduct, also known as the Drygrange Viaduct, is a railway viaduct over the River Tweed near Melrose in the Scottish Borders. History The viaduct was opened on 16 November 1863 to carry the Berwickshire Railway, which connected ...

. Nearby are

Scott's View Scott's View is a viewpoint in the Scottish Borders, overlooking the valley of the River Tweed, which is reputed to be one of the favourite views of Sir Walter Scott. The viewpoint can be located directly from a minor road leading south from Ear ...

Bemersyde House Bemersyde House is a historic house in Roxburghshire, Scotland. The nearest towns are Newtown St. Boswells, Melrose, and Dryburgh. The William Wallace Statue, Bemersyde is on the Bemersyde Estate. History Dating back to the 16th century as ...

Bemersyde Moss Bemersyde Moss is a Scottish Wildlife Trust nature reserve and a Site of Special Scientific Interest at Bemersyde in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland. See also * Site of Special Scientific Interest * List of Sites of Special Scientific Inte ...

, Carolside,

Dryburgh Abbey Dryburgh Abbey, near Dryburgh on the banks of the River Tweed in the Scottish Borders, was nominally founded on 10 November (Martinmas) 1150 in an agreement between Hugh de Morville, Constable of Scotland, and the Premonstratensian canons regu ...

, the William Wallace Statue and the Roman forts at Newstead ( Trimontium).

River Tweed tributaries

Whiteadder Water Whiteadder Water is a river in East Lothian and Berwickshire, Scotland. It also flows for a very short distance through Northumberland before joining the River Tweed. In common with the headwaters of the Biel Water it rises on the low hillside ...

Blackadder Water Blackadder Water () is a river in Berwickshire in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland, forming part of the River Tweed system. It reached 2.84m at Mouthbridge, which was its highest level ever recorded on Tuesday 22 October 2002 at 2:45pm. Ety ...

* River Till,

Eden Water Eden Water is a tributary of the River Tweed in the Scottish Borders of Scotland. "Water" is the Lowland Scots term for a small river. The Eden Burn rises to the east of Lauder at Corsbie Moor on Boon Farm. The Eden Water passes Bassendean vill ...

River Teviot The River Teviot (; gd, Abhainn Tìbhiot), or Teviot Water, is a river of the Scottish Borders area of Scotland, and is the largest tributary of the River Tweed by catchment area. The Teviot is an important river for wildlife, especially the A ...

, River Leader,

Leithen Water Leithen Water ( gd, Leitheann / Abhainn Leitheinn) is a tributary of the River Tweed in Scotland. It rises in the Moorfoot Hills and joins the Tweed near the town of Innerleithen, whose name comes from the Scottish Gaelic ''inbhir'', meaning a ...

Quair Water The Quair Water is a tributary of the River Tweed in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland. Its name is related to Traquair. Etymology The name ''Quair'' has a Brittonic etymology. It may be derived from the element ''*wejr'' (<''*wẹ:drā'')

Eddleston Water Eddleston Water is a small river north of Peebles, in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland which joins the River Tweed at Peebles. It is also known locally as "The Cuddy". Eddleston Water rises near Mount Lothian and passes through Waterheads, ...

Manor Water Manor Water is a river in the parish of Manor, Peeblesshire in the Scottish Borders. It rises in the Ettrick Forest and flows down through the Maynor valley, passing the various farms and hamlets of Maynor as well as Kirkton Manynor, where the M ...

Lyne Water The Lyne Water is a tributary of the River Tweed that rises in the Pentland Hills of southern Scotland at Baddinsgill Reservoir. It runs through West Linton and Romannobridge, passes Flemington and Lyne Station and enters the Tweed west of Pe ...

Holms Water The Holms Water is a river and a tributary of the Biggar Water, which is a tributary of the River Tweed, in the parish of Broughton, Glenholm and Kilbucho in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland, near Glenkirk, Stanhope, Peeblesshire and Hear ...

Gallery

Image:LeaderWater Oxton.jpg, Leader Water at Oxton Mains Image:Leader Water NewMills1.jpg, Leader Water at New Mills, Scottish Borders Image:Leader Water NewMills2.jpg, Leader Water at New Mills

References

External links

Scottish Borders Local Biodiversity Action PlanSCRAN: Leader WaterEarlston Angling Association
Rivers of the Scottish Borders 1Leader {{Scotland-river-stub