River Eden, Fife
Encyclopedia
The River Eden is a river in Fife
in Scotland
, and is one of Fife's two principal rivers, along with the Leven
. It is nearly 30 miles (48 kilometres) long and has a fall of around 90 metres (295 feet). It flows from Burnside, near the border with Perth & Kinross, then slowly across the Howe of Fife (until drained in the 18th and 19th centuries a flat and waterlogged basin) and through the market town of Cupar
to Guardbridge
, where it enters the North Sea
via the Eden Estuary, an important conservation area for wading birds and a nature reserve. The river holds a good stock of wild brown trout
and hosts a fair run of sea trout and salmon
.
In previous centuries, its water was used to power mills on its banks, and there was a paper mill at Guardbridge until July 2008.
The Eden Estuary is a Local Nature Reserve
(LNR) and, along with the Firth of Tay
was designated a Ramsar site on July 28, 2000.
Both estuaries play host to a variety of recreational activities. The Eden estuary, being significantly smaller than the Tay, has few boating opportunities but is an important recreation site for birdwatchers and naturalists, foreshore shellfish collectors, fishing enthusiasts and wildfowlers.
Fife
Fife is a council area and former county of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire...
in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, and is one of Fife's two principal rivers, along with the Leven
River Leven, Fife
The River Leven is a river in Fife in Scotland. It flows from Loch Leven into the Firth of Forth at the town of Leven. The river is home to brown trout and hosts a run of sea trout and atlantic salmon...
. It is nearly 30 miles (48 kilometres) long and has a fall of around 90 metres (295 feet). It flows from Burnside, near the border with Perth & Kinross, then slowly across the Howe of Fife (until drained in the 18th and 19th centuries a flat and waterlogged basin) and through the market town of Cupar
Cupar
Cupar is a town and former royal burgh in Fife, Scotland. The town is situated between Dundee and the New Town of Glenrothes.According to a recent population estimate , Cupar had a population around 8,980 making the town the ninth largest settlement in Fife.-History:The town is believed to have...
to Guardbridge
Guardbridge
Guardbridge is a village in north-east Fife, Scotland.It is approximately 3 miles north-west of St. Andrews, and is situated on the estuary of the River Eden. It stands at the junction of the A91 St...
, where it enters the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
via the Eden Estuary, an important conservation area for wading birds and a nature reserve. The river holds a good stock of wild brown trout
Brown trout
The brown trout and the sea trout are fish of the same species....
and hosts a fair run of sea trout and salmon
Atlantic salmon
The Atlantic salmon is a species of fish in the family Salmonidae, which is found in the northern Atlantic Ocean and in rivers that flow into the north Atlantic and the north Pacific....
.
In previous centuries, its water was used to power mills on its banks, and there was a paper mill at Guardbridge until July 2008.
The Eden Estuary is a Local Nature Reserve
Local Nature Reserve
Local nature reserve or LNR is a designation for nature reserves in the United Kingdom. The designation has its origin in the recommendations of the Wild Life Conservation Special Committee which established the framework for nature conservation in the United Kingdom and suggested a national suite...
(LNR) and, along with the Firth of Tay
Firth of Tay
The Firth of Tay is a firth in Scotland between the council areas of Fife, Perth and Kinross, the City of Dundee and Angus, into which Scotland's largest river in terms of flow, the River Tay, empties....
was designated a Ramsar site on July 28, 2000.
Both estuaries play host to a variety of recreational activities. The Eden estuary, being significantly smaller than the Tay, has few boating opportunities but is an important recreation site for birdwatchers and naturalists, foreshore shellfish collectors, fishing enthusiasts and wildfowlers.