River in Aberdeenshire, Scotland
For other rivers of the same or similar name, see
Don River
.
The
River Don
(
Scottish Gaelic
:
Deathan
) is a
river
in north-east
Scotland
. It
rises
in the
Grampians
and flows eastwards, through
Aberdeenshire
, to the
North Sea
at
Aberdeen
. The Don passes through
Alford
,
Kemnay
,
Inverurie
,
Kintore
, and
Dyce
. Its main
tributary
, the
River Ury
, joins at
Inverurie
.
Course of the river
[
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]
The Don rises in the peat flat beneath
Druim na Feithe
, and in the shadow of
Glen Avon
, before flowing quietly past the ice-age
moraine
and down to Cock Bridge, below the picturesque site of the recently demolished
Delnadamph Lodge
. Several streams, the Dhiver, Feith Bhait, Meoir Veannaich, Cock Burn and the Allt nan Aighean merge to form the embryonic Don. Water from the north of Brown Cow Hill (
grid reference
NJ230045
) drains into the Don, while water from the west side runs into the
River Spey
and that from the south side into the
Dee
. The Don follows a circuitous route eastwards past
Corgarff Castle
, through
Strathdon
and the
Howe of Alford
before entering the North Sea just north of
Old Aberdeen
.
The chief tributaries are
Conrie Water
,
Ernan Water
, Water of Carvie, Water of Nochty, Deskry Water, Water of Buchat, Kindy Burn,
Bucks Burn
, Mossat Burn, Leochel Burn and the
River Ury
.
History
[
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]
The river was recorded by the 2nd century AD cosmographer
Ptolemy
of
Alexandria
(d.
c
168) as Δηουανα
Devona
,
[1]
meaning 'goddess', an indication the river was once a sacred one. Near Kintore, not distant from the Don, is the
Deers Den
Roman Camp
. In 1750 the Don's lower reaches were channelled towards the sea, moving its confluence with the sea northwards.
Hydrology
[
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]
Discharge of the River Don at various locations
[2]
|
Station
|
Start
|
Catchment
Area
|
Mean Flow
|
Culfork
|
1997
|
103 km
2
(40 sq mi)
|
2.94 m
3
/s (104 cu ft/s)
|
Alford
|
1973
|
499 km
2
(193 sq mi)
|
10.22 m
3
/s (361 cu ft/s)
|
Haughton
|
1969
|
787 km
2
(304 sq mi)
|
14.33 m
3
/s (506 cu ft/s)
|
Parkhill (Dyce)
|
1969
|
1,273 km
2
(492 sq mi)
|
20.64 m
3
/s (729 cu ft/s)
|
River levels and flows have been measured along the course of the Don at a number of
gauging stations
since 1969. The lowest of these is the gauge at Parkhill near
Dyce
, with a mean flow of 20.64 cubic metres per second (729 cu ft/s). The station measures 97% of the total 1,312 square kilometres (507 sq mi)
catchment
of the river.
[2]
[3]
Prior to 2016 the maximum levels and flows were recorded during the floods of November 2002, with peak levels on the 22nd of that month reaching 5.07 metres (16.6 ft) at Haughton near Inverurie, and 4.17 metres (13.7 ft) at Parkhill. These were exceeded in January 2016 during the
2015?16 floods
, when levels at Haughton reached 5.6 metres (18 ft), whilst those at Parkhill were over a metre higher than previously at 5.5 metres (18 ft).
[2]
[4]
The resultant flooding forced residents along the river to evacuate their homes, in some cases with the help of local rescue teams. Areas affected included Port Elphinstone,
Kintore
, and Donside in Aberdeen where a number of residential care homes were evacuated as a precaution.
[4]
[5]
Economy
[
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]
Strathdon attracts visitors for
salmon
and
trout
fishing as well as its
castles
and scenery. A 100kW hydro scheme at
Tillydrone
is on the former site of the
Donside Papermill
.
See also
[
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]
References
[
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]
External links
[
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]