River Tweed Fisheries Act 1830

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 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

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 to where the Clyde, draining northwest ( from the Tweed's Well), and the Annan draining south ( from the Tweed's Well) also rise. "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
* 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

Despite that the catchment straddles the border between Scotland and England, management of it- in terms of water quality, bio-security, and ultimately protection of the salmon of the River Tweed- is overseen by a single body, the River Tweed Commission.

See also

* List of places in the Scottish Borders
*Tweeddale
*Anglo–Scottish border
* Union Bridge
*Rivers and Fisheries Trusts of Scotland
* Rivers of the United Kingdom
*Both sides the Tweed

Gallery

Wfm tweed abottsford.jpg, The River Tweed at Abbotsford, near Melrose
River Tweed from Mertoun House.jpg, The River Tweed from Mertoun House, near St Boswells
Anglo-Scottish.border.history.jpg, 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.
Union Chain Bridge between England and Scotland, 2019.jpg, The Union Chain Bridge spanning the Tweed between Horncliffe, England and Fishwick, Scotland

Notes

External links

British Waterways: River TweedThe River Tweed Commission websiteThe Tweed FoundationTweed Forum websiteRiver Tweed: Special Area of Conservation (SAC)SEPA (Scottish Environment Protection Agency): River Level DataPaper describing palaeo-icestream and landforms in the Tweed Valley
* Map and aerial photo sources for and
Open Canoe Hire Specialists

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tweed, River

Rivers of Northumberland
Tweed
Anglo-Scottish border
Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Annandale and Eskdale
Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Berwickshire and Roxburgh
Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Mid and East Lothian
Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Tweeddale and Ettrick and Lauderdale