The River Teith is a river 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 ...
, which is formed from the
confluence
In geography, a confluence (also ''conflux'') occurs where two or more watercourses join to form a single channel (geography), channel. A confluence can occur in several configurations: at the point where a tributary joins a larger river (main ...
of two smaller rivers, the ''
Garbh Uisge'' (River Leny) and ''
Eas Gobhain'' at
Callander
Callander (; ) is a small town in the council area of Stirling (district), Stirling in Scotland, situated on the River Teith. The town is located in the historic county of Perthshire and is a popular tourist stop to and from the Highlands. De ...
,
Stirlingshire
Stirlingshire or the County of Stirling ( ) is a Shires of Scotland, historic county and registration county of Scotland. Its county town is Stirling.Registers of Scotland. Publications, leaflets, Land Register Counties.
It borders Perthshir ...
. It flows into the
River Forth
The River Forth is a major river in central Scotland, long, which drains into the North Sea on the east coast of the country. Its drainage basin covers much of Stirlingshire in Scotland's Central Belt. The Scottish Gaelic, Gaelic name for the ...
near Drip north-west of
Stirling
Stirling (; ; ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city in Central Belt, central Scotland, northeast of Glasgow and north-west of Edinburgh. The market town#Scotland, market town, surrounded by rich farmland, grew up connecting the roya ...
.
Etymology
The name ''Teith'' is obscure,
but may come 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 ...
''Uisge Theamhich'', which translates into English as the "quiet and pleasant water".
[MacKay, Moray S.(1953). ''Doune Historical Notes'', p. 104. Forth Naturalist and Historian Board .]
The place-name ''Callander'' may conserve an older name for the Teith, derived from
Brittonic ''*caleto-dubro'', meaning "hard-water".
Course
The Teith is formed from the confluence of two smaller rivers: one from
Loch Venachar
Loch Venachar (Scottish Gaelic: Loch Bheannchair) is a freshwater loch in Stirling (district), Stirling district, Scotland.
Geography
The loch is situated between Callander and Brig o' Turk. It lies approximately above sea level, and is lo ...
, the ''
Eas Gobhain'' which translates as "the smith's cascade", and one from
Loch Lubnaig
Loch Lubnaig () is a small freshwater loch near Callander in the Stirling council area, Scottish Highlands. It lies in the former county of Perthshire. It is part of the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park.
The loch nestles in the spa ...
- ''Garbh Uisge'' which translates as "the rough water". The river flows through
Callander
Callander (; ) is a small town in the council area of Stirling (district), Stirling in Scotland, situated on the River Teith. The town is located in the historic county of Perthshire and is a popular tourist stop to and from the Highlands. De ...
and is joined by the Keltie Water south of Keltie Bridge. The Teith continues to
Deanston
Deanston () is a village in the Stirling council area, Scotland, on the south bank of the River Teith east of Doune, in south-west Perthshire. It is a part of the parish of Kilmadock.
Etymology
The name comes from Walter Drummond, Dean of Dun ...
and
Doune
Doune (; from Scottish Gaelic: , meaning 'the fort') is a burgh within Perthshire. The town is administered by Stirling Council. Doune is assigned Falkirk postcodes starting "FK". The village lies within the parish of Kilmadock and mainly with ...
where the
Ardoch Burn meets it, before its confluence with the (smaller)
Forth
Forth or FORTH may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''forth'' magazine, an Internet magazine
* ''Forth'' (album), by The Verve, 2008
* ''Forth'', a 2011 album by Proto-Kaw
* Radio Forth, a group of independent local radio stations in Scotl ...
upstream of
Stirling
Stirling (; ; ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city in Central Belt, central Scotland, northeast of Glasgow and north-west of Edinburgh. The market town#Scotland, market town, surrounded by rich farmland, grew up connecting the roya ...
.
Importance
The Teith is renowned for its fishing and for the splendid arched bridge southwest of
Doune
Doune (; from Scottish Gaelic: , meaning 'the fort') is a burgh within Perthshire. The town is administered by Stirling Council. Doune is assigned Falkirk postcodes starting "FK". The village lies within the parish of Kilmadock and mainly with ...
.

The
Deanston Distillery
Deanston distillery is a Single Malt Scotch whisky distillery and it is the largest distillery owned by Scotch whisky producer CVH Spirits Limited, who also own Bunnahabhain Distillery on the Isle of Islay and Tobermory distillery on the Isle of ...
near Doune uses the Teith to supply water for the manufacture of Deanston Single Malt
Whisky
Whisky or whiskey is a type of liquor made from Fermentation in food processing, fermented grain mashing, mash. Various grains (which may be Malting, malted) are used for different varieties, including barley, Maize, corn, rye, and wheat. Whisky ...
.
The 'Brig o' Teith' was constructed in 1535 by
Robert Spittal, a Royal tailor to
Margaret Tudor
Margaret Tudor (28 November 1489 – 18 October 1541) was List of Scottish royal consorts, Queen of Scotland from 1503 until 1513 by marriage to King James IV. She then served as regent of Scotland during her son's minority, and fought to exte ...
, wife of
James IV
James IV (17 March 1473 – 9 September 1513) was King of Scotland from 11 June 1488 until his death at the Battle of Flodden in 1513. He inherited the throne at the age of fifteen on the death of his father, James III, at the Battle of Sauch ...
. According to
Charles Rogers in ''A Week at Bridge of Allan'' (1851), a ferryman refused Spittal passage across the Teith as he did not have his purse and could not pay. The bridge was built in retaliation.
[
]
References
External links
"Forth District Salmon Fishery Board""River Forth Fisheries Trust""Doune Historical Notes - Moray S MacKay
Teith
1Teith
Tributaries of the River Forth
Kilmadock
{{Scotland-river-stub