Descriptive Gazetteer Entry for Leith, Water of

Leith, Water of, a small river of Edinburghshire, formed by several burns of Midcalder parish that rise among the Pentlands at altitudes of from 1250 to 1400 feet above sea-level. Thence it winds 23¾ miles northeastward, through or along the borders of Midcalder, Kirknewton, Currie, Colinton, St Cuthbert's, and North and South Leith parishes, till it falls into the Firth of Forth between the heads of the E and W piers of Leith harbour. Its chief tributary is Bavelaw Burn, flowing into it at Balerno; and its other tributaries are small but numerous, mostly from the Pentlands. Its volume varies, according to the weather, from the insignificance of a brook to the importance of a considerable river; and its velocity, over most of its course, in times of freshet, is impetuous. Its water-power, for the driving of corn, paper, and other mills, is economised by such a multitude of dams as to exceed the water-power of any other stream of its size in Scotland. The trout-fishing in its lower reaches has long been destroyed by the action of the mills; and that in its upper reaches used to be excellent, but has greatly deteriorated through extension of the Edinburgh water-works. Its banks, over the greater part of its course, are beautifully picturesque, ranging from romantic glen to meadowy plain, and abounding in rocks and woods, in parks and elegant mansions. The last 5½ miles of its course lie through the parliamentary burghs of Edinburgh and Leith; and the most striking feature here, the Dean Bridge, is noticed in our article on the former city.—Ord. Sur., sh. 32, 1857.


(F.H. Groome, Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland (1882-4); © 2004 Gazetteer for Scotland)

Linked entities:
Feature Description: "a small river"   (ADL Feature Type: "rivers")
Administrative units: Midlothian ScoCnty

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