The Lunan Water is an easterly flowing river in

Angus, Scotland Angus (; ) is one of the 32 Local government in Scotland, local government council areas of Scotland, and a Lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area. The council area borders Aberdeenshire, Dundee City (council area), Dundee City and Per ...

, that discharges to the

North Sea The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Denmark, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France. A sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian Se ...

north of the town of

Arbroath Arbroath () or Aberbrothock ( ) is a former royal burgh and the largest town in the Subdivisions of Scotland, council area of Angus, Scotland, Angus, Scotland, with a population of 23,902. It lies on the North Sea coast, some east-northeast of ...

. Draining chiefly

agricultural Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created f ...

lands, this stream has a moderate level of

turbidity Turbidity is the cloudiness or haziness of a fluid caused by large numbers of individual particles that are generally invisible to the naked eye, similar to smoke in air. The measurement of turbidity is a key test of both water clarity and wa ...

and a pH level of approximately 8.7. Other nearby watercourses discharging to the North Sea include

River North Esk The North Esk () is a river in Angus, Scotland, Angus and Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is formed by the meeting of the Water of Mark (from Glen Mark) and the Water of Lee (from Loch Lee), and enters the North Sea four miles north of Montrose, Ang ...

and

River South Esk :''Note: the southern headwater of the River Esk in Lothian is also known as the South Esk.'' The South Esk () is a river in Angus, Scotland. It rises in the Grampian Mountains at Loch Esk in Glen Doll and flows through Glen Clova to Strathm ...

, both to the north. The Lunan Water rises at Lunanhead, a mile north-east of

Forfar Forfar (; , ) is the county town of Angus, Scotland, and the administrative centre for Angus Council, with a new multi-million-pound office complex located on the outskirts of the town. As of 2021, the town had a population of 16,280. The town ...

, and its upper catchment, the Lunan Basin, contains several lochs and fen wetlands, such as Restenneth Moss,

Rescobie Loch Rescobie Loch is a post glacial fresh water body located in the parish of Rescobie, to the East of Forfar, in the county of Angus, Scotland. The loch is fed by Lunan Water which enters from the West and exits to the East. History Rescobie's ...

and Balgavies Loch. Much of this upper catchment is designated as nature reserves or

Sites of Special Scientific Interest A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain, or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland, is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle ...

due to the diverse wetland habitats and wildlife here. It passes through several villages on its course, including Guthrie,

Friockheim Friockheim (pronounced like "frickum",) is a village in Angus, Scotland dating from 1814. It lies between the towns of Arbroath, Brechin, Forfar and Montrose, Angus, Montrose. History The name 'Friockheim', literally translated, means 'Heather ...

and

Inverkeilor Inverkeilor is a village and parish in Angus, Scotland. It lies near the North Sea coast, midway between Arbroath and Montrose, Angus, Montrose. The A92 road now bypasses the village. The population of Inverkeilor parish in the United Kingdom Cen ...

. At its mouth the Lunan Water meets the North Sea at the hamlet of Lunan, upon Lunan Bay. The beach at Lunan Bay was voted the "best beach in Scotland" in a survey conducted in the year 2000. The 15th-century ruins of Red Castle are located at the river mouth, close to Lunan. The valley of the Lunan Water was historically known as ''Strathbeg'', from the

Scottish Gaelic Scottish Gaelic (, ; Endonym and exonym, endonym: ), also known as Scots Gaelic or simply Gaelic, is a Celtic language native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a member of the Goidelic language, Goidelic branch of Celtic, Scottish Gaelic, alongs ...

, "little strath", in comparison to Strathmore.Alex J. Warden, ''Angus or Forfarshire, the Land and People, Descriptive and Historical'', Charles Alexander & Co., Dundee (1881)

References

Rivers of Angus, Scotland {{Scotland-river-stub

See also

References