The River Esk (
Brythonic: Isca (water), ), also called the Lothian Esk, is a river that flows through
Midlothian
Midlothian (; ) is registration county, lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area and one of 32 council areas of Scotland used for local government. Midlothian lies in the east-central Lowlands, bordering the City of Edinburgh council ar ...
and
East Lothian
East Lothian (; ; ) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, as well as a Counties of Scotland, historic county, registration county and Lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area. The county was called Haddingtonshire until 1921.
In ...
,
Scotland
Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
.
It initially runs as two separate rivers: the North Esk and the South Esk.
Route
The North Esk rises in the North Esk Reservoir in the
Pentland Hills, in
Midlothian
Midlothian (; ) is registration county, lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area and one of 32 council areas of Scotland used for local government. Midlothian lies in the east-central Lowlands, bordering the City of Edinburgh council ar ...
, a mile (1.6 km) north of the village of
Carlops. It flows north-east past
Penicuik and
Auchendinny, where it is joined by the Glencorse Burn, flowing in a south-easterly direction from the
Glencorse Reservoir.
[Ordnance Survey, 1:25000 map] The reservoir was built by the
Edinburgh Water Company in the 1820s, to supply compensation water to millowners on the Esk when they started to take water from the Glencorse Burn for drinking water supplies. The river continues through
Roslin Glen and the
Penicuik–Dalkeith Walkway, past
Hawthornden Castle,
Polton
Polton is a village located in Lasswade parish, Midlothian, Scotland, anciently a superiority of the Ramsay family, cadets of Dalhousie. In 1618 David Ramsay of Polton was in possession. (See: ''Analecta Scotica'', Edinburgh, 1834).
Notable res ...
,
Lasswade and
Melville Castle.
The South Esk rises at the southernmost extremity of Midlothian, on the western slopes of Blackhope Scar (the highest of the
Moorfoot Hills). It flows north through
Gladhouse Reservoir and Rosebery Reservoir, and by the village of
Temple
A temple (from the Latin ) is a place of worship, a building used for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. By convention, the specially built places of worship of some religions are commonly called "temples" in Engli ...
, before receiving the Redside Burn close to
Arniston House. It is joined by the Gore Water at Shank. The Dalhousie Burn joins just to the west of
Newtongrange
Newtongrange () is a former mining village in Midlothian, Scotland. Known in local dialect as ''Nitten'', or ''Nitten by the Bing (mining), Bing'' (),
it became Scotland's largest mining village in the 1890s, with the sinking of the Lady Victor ...
. The South Esk passes
Newbattle Abbey and proceeds through
Dalkeith.
The rivers converge just about north-east of Dalkeith at the edge of the grounds of
Dalkeith Palace. From here the River Esk continues north for about , entering the
East Lothian
East Lothian (; ; ) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, as well as a Counties of Scotland, historic county, registration county and Lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area. The county was called Haddingtonshire until 1921.
In ...
region, skirting
Inveresk and flowing into the
Firth of Forth
The Firth of Forth () is a firth in Scotland, an inlet of the North Sea that separates Fife to its north and Lothian to its south. Further inland, it becomes the estuary of the River Forth and several other rivers.
Name
''Firth'' is a cognate ...
at
Fisherrow (
Musselburgh
Musselburgh (; ; ) is the largest settlement in East Lothian, Scotland, on the coast of the Firth of Forth, east of Edinburgh city centre. It had a population of as of .
History
The name Musselburgh is Old English language, Old English in ...
).
Photo gallery
Image:Esk sign.jpg, River Esk signpost
Image:Esk weir.jpg, River Esk weir
Image:Esk fishing.jpg, River Esk angler
Image:Esk bank erosion.jpg, River Esk bank erosion
Image:Esk swans.jpg, River Esk swans
Image:Esk Musselburgh1.jpg, River Esk, Musselburgh
Image:Esk Rennie's Bridge.jpg, River Esk, Rennie's Bridge
Bibliography
*
References
See also
*
List of rivers of Scotland
This list of rivers in Scotland is organised geography, geographically, taken anti-clockwise, from Berwick-upon-Tweed. Tributary, Tributaries are listed down the page in an upstream direction. (L) indicates a left-bank tributary and (R) indicat ...
*
Rivers and Fisheries Trusts of Scotland (RAFTS)
*
List of waterway societies in the United Kingdom
*
List of navigation authorities in the United Kingdom
Esk (Lothian)
Esk (Lothian)
Lothian
Musselburgh
Dalkeith
{{Scotland-river-stub