Cowton Burn is a stream that rises in the Mounth

Mounth

The Mounth is the range of hills on the southern edge of Strathdee in northeast Scotland. It was usually referred to with the article, i.e. "the Mounth". The name is a corruption of the Scottish Gaelic monadh which in turn is akin to the Welsh mynydd, and may be of Pictish origin...

, or eastern range of the Grampian Mountains, on some of the northwest slopes of the Durris Forest

Durris Forest

Durris Forest is a chiefly coniferous forest south of the River Dee approximately three kilometres west of Netherley in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The A957 road forms the southwest boundary of Durris Forest, separating it from Fetteresso Forest. The Durris Forest includes several smaller named...

 west of Netherley, Aberdeenshire

Netherley, Aberdeenshire

Netherley, Scotland is a village in Aberdeenshire, situated approximately five miles northwest of Stonehaven. Netherley is located in the Mounth area of the Grampian Highlands. At the western edge of Netherley is a significant wetland bog known as Red Moss. To the southwest of Netherley lie...

, 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...

. The Grid Reference for the headwaters is NO 925 823); Cowton Burn is a 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...

 to the Cowie Water

Cowie Water

The Cowie Water is a river rising in the Grampian Mountains in Aberdeenshire, Scotland that discharges to the North Sea in the northern part of Stonehaven. south of the ruined Cowie Castle...

. The Cowton Burn is crossed by the A957 road

A957 road

The A957 road, commonly called the Slug Road, is a two lane paved public roadway in Aberdeenshire, Scotland connecting Stonehaven to the A93 road at the Royal Deeside.-History and route:...

 slightly northwest of Rickarton House

Rickarton House

Rickarton House is an historic home in Aberdeenshire, Scotland approximately six kilometres northwest of Stonehaven. Other notable historic structures in the vicinity are Ury House, Fetteresso Castle and Muchalls Castle...

.

Watershed characteristics

The headwaters of the Cowton Burn rise in a coniferous forest area of the Durris Forest. The stream flows downslope on an easterly course as it makes its way to discharge to the Cowie Water. The stream has generally has lush vegetation growing all the way to its margins throughout most of its course. The July flow rate is roughly six cubic feet per second in the headwaters reach. pH

PH

In chemistry, pH is a measure of the acidity or basicity of an aqueous solution. Pure water is said to be neutral, with a pH close to 7.0 at . Solutions with a pH less than 7 are said to be acidic and solutions with a pH greater than 7 are basic or alkaline...

 levels are slightly alkaline.

History

The Roman Camp Raedykes

Raedykes

Raedykes is the site of a Roman marching camp located just over 3 miles NW of Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. National Grid Reference NO 842902...

 occupied the northern higher ground of the central drainage area of Cowton Burn, whereas the east flank of Raedykes provides surface runoff

Surface runoff

Surface runoff is the water flow that occurs when soil is infiltrated to full capacity and excess water from rain, meltwater, or other sources flows over the land. This is a major component of the water cycle. Runoff that occurs on surfaces before reaching a channel is also called a nonpoint source...

 to the Burn of Monboys. A number of historical analysts, including the 19th century researcher Gabriel Jaques Surenne and contemporary authors Watt and Hogan, hypothesize that the Battle of Mons Graupius

Battle of Mons Graupius

According to Tacitus, the Battle of Mons Graupius took place in AD 83 or, less probably, 84. Gnaeus Julius Agricola, the Roman governor and Tacitus' father-in-law, had sent his fleet ahead to panic the Caledonians, and, with light infantry reinforced with British auxiliaries, reached the site,...

 was fought in or slightly east of Cowton Burn watershed. Immediately above the confluence with the Cowie Water, one can look down and see expanses of Fetteresso Forest

Fetteresso Forest

The Fetteresso Forest is a woodland that is principally coniferous situated in the Mounth range of the Grampian Mountains in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The forest has a number of prominent mountain peaks including the Hill of Blacklodge and Craiginour peak...

 to the west, at the edge of which is the Rickarton House estate, founded by Colonel William Rickart Hepburn

William Rickart Hepburn

Colonel William Rickart Hepburn was a Scottish noble and politician who lived in Kincardineshire, Scotland. He was the son of Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Rickart Hepburn MP and Magdalene Murray. He was responsible for the construction of the historic Rickarton House west of Stonehaven at the...

in the first decade of the 19th century.