Scottish watershed facts for kids

The first miles of the Tweed further upriver than the burn that carries the name Tweed, this is a confluence of the Powskein and Whitehope Burns. The Whitehope Burn is probably the branch of the system furthest from Berwick. The hill is Chalk Rig and it carries the Dumfriesshire/Peeblesshire march and the East-West watershed of Scotland.

The Scottish watershed is like an invisible line across Scotland. It separates the rivers that flow east into the North Sea from those that flow west and north into the Atlantic Ocean. Imagine standing on top of Ben Lomond. Water falling on one side goes to the Firth of Clyde (west). Water on the other side goes to the Firth of Forth (east). This special line connects all such points in Scotland. It helps us understand where water travels across the country.

What is a Watershed?

A watershed is a high area of land that divides water flowing in different directions. Think of it as a natural boundary. Rain or snow that falls on one side of the watershed will flow into one river system. Water on the other side will flow into a different one. The Scottish watershed is a very important example of this natural feature.

Discovering the Scottish Watershed

Even though watersheds are common, the idea of the Scottish watershed was first clearly written about in 1884. This was in a book called Groome's Ordnance Gazetteer. It said the northern end of the line was at Duncansby Head. Later, in 1912, a map called the Bartholomew Atlas Survey showed the entire line. It stretched from the border with England all the way to Duncansby Head.

Mapping the Route

The first time the Scottish watershed was really explored and mapped for everyone was in 1986. A person named Dave Hewitt carefully mapped out the route. The very next year, in 1987, he walked the entire line. He started in the south and walked all the way to the north. This was a huge adventure!

Dave Hewitt en route back to the watershed route after a rest day in Shiel Bridge in 1987.

Famous Journeys Along the Line

Since Dave Hewitt's first walk, several other people have completed their own journeys along the Scottish watershed. These trips are often long and challenging. They show how amazing and wild this part of Scotland is. Here are some of the notable journeys:

• Dave Hewitt walked from the Anglo-Scottish border to Cape Wrath. He did this in one continuous trip from April to June 1987.
• Mike Allen walked from Land's End in England to Cape Wrath. He did this in many shorter sections between 1988 and 1994.
• Martin Prouse walked from Rowardennan to Ben Hope in one go. This journey happened in July and August of 1994.
• Chris Townsend completed a journey from Peel Fell to Duncansby Head in 2013.
• Elspeth Luke ran the entire watershed in 34 continuous days in 2015. She was the first woman to complete this incredible journey.
• Neil Fraser completed a 97-mile section on the Shetland Mainland in 2018.
• Liam Fraser and Neil Fraser explored sections of the watershed on the islands of Yell and Unst in 2020.

These journeys highlight the importance of the Scottish watershed. They also show its beauty as a unique geographical feature.