River Teith

The River Teith is a river in Scotland, which is formed from the confluence of two smaller rivers, the Garbh Uisge (River Leny) and Eas Gobhain at Callander, Stirlingshire. It flows into the River Forth near Drip north-west of Stirling.

River Teith
Castle Pool, 2 km downstream from Doune
Location
CountryScotland
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • locationCallander
 • coordinates56.24132°N 4.22443°W / 56.24132; -4.22443
MouthRiver Forth
 • coordinates
56.14230°N 3.98155°W / 56.14230; -3.98155
Length113 km (70 mi)
Discharge 
 • locationRiver Forth

Etymology

The name Teith is obscure,[1] but may come from the Scottish Gaelic Uisge Theamhich, which translates into English as the "quiet and pleasant water".[2] Much more likely it has a Brittonic basis cognate with the Welsh word tuth/tith meaning "to trot" so conveying the meaning "(the river which) flows smoothly and steadily".

The place-name Callander may conserve an older name for the Teith, derived from Brittonic *caleto-dubro, meaning "hard-water".[3]

Course

The Teith is formed from the confluence of two smaller rivers: one from Loch Venachar, the Eas Gobhain which translates as "the smith's cascade", and one from Loch Lubnaig - Garbh Uisge which translates as "the rough water". The river flows through Callander and is joined by the Keltie Water one mile (1.5 kilometres) south of Keltie Bridge. The Teith continues to Deanston and Doune where the Ardoch Burn meets it, before its confluence with the (smaller) Forth upstream of Stirling.[2]

Importance

The Teith is renowned for its fishing and for the splendid arched bridge 1⁄2 mile (800 metres) southwest of Doune.

Confluence of Ardoch with Teith, 3 km downstream from Doune

The Deanston Distillery near Doune uses the Teith to supply water for the manufacture of Deanston Single Malt Whisky.[4]

The 'Brig o' Teith' was constructed in 1535 by Robert Spittal, a Royal tailor to Margaret Tudor, wife of James IV. 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.[5]

References
  1. "The Journal of Scottish Name Studies Vol. 8" (PDF). Clann Turic. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
  2. MacKay, Moray S.(1953). Doune Historical Notes, p. 104. Forth Naturalist and Historian Board ISBN 0950696250.
  3. Mills, David (20 October 2011). A Dictionary of British Place-Names (Illustrated, Reprint, Revised ed.). OUP Oxford. p. 93. ISBN 9780199609086. Retrieved 16 October 2019.
  4. Buxton, Ian (2011). "Deanston". 101 Whiskies to Try Before You Die (Revised & Updated). Hachette UK. ISBN 9780755362981. Retrieved 27 January 2019.
  5. "The Forth Naturalist and Historian vol. 22 p. 143" (PDF).
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