River Tummel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids River Tummel |
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River Tummel
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| Native name | Uisge Theimheil |
| Country | Scotland |
| County | Perth and Kinross |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Main source | Loch Rannoch 56°38′30″N 3°40′00″W / 56.64167°N 3.66667°W |
| River mouth | River Tay |
| Length | 58 miles |
The River Tummel (Scottish Gaelic: Uisge Theimheil) is a river in Perth and Kinross, Scotland. Its water is used to make electricity. This happens at the Tummel hydro-electric power scheme, run by a company called SSE.
The Tummel is a smaller river that flows into the larger River Tay. Because of this, it is part of the River Tay Special Area of Conservation. This special area helps protect important animals. These include salmon, otters, and different kinds of lampreys.
About the River Tummel
The River Tummel starts at Loch Rannoch. It flows east for a while. Then, it turns southeast near the Falls of Tummel. It keeps flowing in this direction. Finally, it joins the River Tay near Logierait. The river travels about 58 miles (93 kilometers) from its start. Its source is high up on a mountain called Stob Ghabbar.
River's Journey and Loch Tummel
The main river that flows into the Tummel is the River Garry. The Garry is a fast-flowing river. It is about 24 miles (39 kilometers) long. The Garry starts from Loch Garry.
About halfway along its path, the Tummel widens into Loch Tummel. Between this loch and where the Garry joins, there are the Pass and Falls of the Tummel. These are more like fast-moving sections of water, not big waterfalls. The water drops about 15 feet (4.6 meters) here.
Loch Tummel used to be about 2.75 miles (4.4 kilometers) long. It was also about 128 feet (39 meters) deep. But in 1950, a dam called the Clunie Dam was built. This raised the water level by 4.5 meters (15 feet). Now, Loch Tummel is about 7 miles (11 kilometers) long.
Beautiful Scenery and Famous Spots
The area around the River Tummel is very beautiful. One of the most famous spots is the "Queen's View." This viewpoint is above the eastern end of Loch Tummel. Queen Victoria made this view famous in 1866. However, some people say it was named after Queen Isabel. She was the wife of Robert the Bruce.
Other interesting places along the river include:
- Kinloch Rannoch
- Dunalastair, a rocky hill with many trees. This spot was made beautiful by Alexander Robertson of Struan. He was a poet and a Jacobite.
- Foss
- Faskally House, which is beautifully located on the left bank of the river.
- Pitlochry
- Ballinluig
