River Leader - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The River Leader, or Leader Water, is a small tributary

Tributary

A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...

of the River Tweed

River Tweed

The River Tweed, or Tweed Water, is long and flows primarily through the Borders region of Great Britain. It rises on Tweedsmuir at Tweed's Well near where the Clyde, draining northwest, and the Annan draining south also rise. "Annan, Tweed and Clyde rise oot the ae hillside" as the Border saying...

in Lauderdale

Lauderdale

Lauderdale, denoting "dale of the river Leader", is the dale and region around that river in south-eastern Scotland.It can also refer to:-People:*Earls of Lauderdale*Lord Lauderdale, member of The Cabal of Charles II of England-Place names:Australia...

in the Scottish Borders

Scottish Borders

The Scottish Borders is one of 32 local government council areas of Scotland. It is bordered by Dumfries and Galloway in the west, South Lanarkshire and West Lothian in the north west, City of Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian to the north; and the non-metropolitan counties of Northumberland...

. It flows southwards from the Lammermuir Hills

Lammermuir Hills

The Lammermuir Hills, usually simply called the Lammermuirs , in southern Scotland, form a natural boundary between Lothian and the Scottish Borders....

through the towns of Lauder

Lauder

The Royal Burgh of Lauder is a town in the Scottish Borders 27 miles south east of Edinburgh. It is also a royal burgh in the county of Berwickshire. It lies on the edge of the Lammermuir Hills, on the Southern Upland Way.-Medieval history:...

and Earlston

Earlston

Earlston , formerly Ercildoune, is a civil parish and market town in the county of Berwickshire, within the Scottish Borders. It is situated on the River Leader in Lauderdale, Scotland.-Early history:...

, joining the River Tweed at Leaderfoot.
The feeder burns of the Leader Water are the Headshaw Burn, the Hillhouse Burn and the Kelphope Burn. They combine at the Carfrae mill hotel and the village of Oxton

Oxton, Scottish Borders

Oxton is a rural village in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland, just off the A68. The small town of Lauder is 4.5 miles to the south, Edinburgh city centreis about 23 miles to the north. Other towns include Dalkeith ....

. The river is now sandwiched between the A68 and the A697, and it has absorbed the Cleekhimin Burn, Harry Burn, Washing Burn and Earnscleugh Burn.
The Leader Water now passes to the east of the town of Lauder, by Thirlestane Castle

Thirlestane Castle

Thirlestane Castle is a castle set in extensive parklands near Lauder in the Borders of Scotland. The site is aptly named Castle Hill, as it stands upon raised ground. However, the raised land is within Lauderdale, the valley of the Leader Water. The land has been in the ownership of the Maitland...