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River Dee, Aberdeenshire
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The River Dee is a river in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It rises in the Cairngorms and flows through Strathdee (Deeside) to reach the North Sea at Aberdeen.
River Dee rises at approximately 4000 feet in elevation on the plateau of Braeriach, the highest source of any major river in the British Isles. Water emerges in a number of pools like the one in the picture below and flows across the plateau to the cliff edge, then plunges into An Garbh Choire.
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The River Dee is a river in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It rises in the Cairngorms and flows through Strathdee (Deeside) to reach the North Sea at Aberdeen.
Geography
The River Dee rises at approximately 4000 feet in elevation on the plateau of Braeriach, the highest source of any major river in the British Isles. Water emerges in a number of pools like the one in the picture below and flows across the plateau to the cliff edge, then plunges into An Garbh Choire. The young Dee joins a tributary from the Pools of Dee in the Lairig Ghru and passes between Ben Macdui and Cairn Toul. The river flows over falls in the Chest of Dee on its way to White Bridge, the confluence of the Geldie Burn.
Linn of Dee
At Linn of Dee the river passes through a 300 metre natural rock gorge. Between there and Braemar, Lui Water (formed by Luibeg and Derry Burns) and Quoich Water join the growing River Dee. Clunie Water and Callater Burn join together and flow into the Dee at Braemar.
Strathdee
Through Strathdee ("Deeside"), the river passes the settlements of Braemar, Ballater, Aboyne and Banchory. The Rivers Muick and Gairn join the Dee at Ballater. The Water of Tanar flows through Glen Tanar before joining the Dee at Aboyne. The Water of Feugh joins the River Dee at Banchory. Coy Burn joins the Dee at Milton of Crathes.
At Maryculter the Crynoch Burn discharges to the Dee immediately south of the Peterculter bridge. Somewhat further downstream is the Bridge of Dee which links Aberdeen with points south. At this crossing of the Dee is the northernmost point of the Causey Mounth, an ancient drovers road connecting Aberdeen with Stonehaven. Before reaching the North Sea, the River Dee passes through Aberdeen harbour. An artificial channel was constructed in 1872 to modify the harbour, which is the largest marine centre in Europe servicing the offshore oil and gas industry.
Footdee ("Fittie") is an old fishing village at the east end of Aberdeen Harbour.
The A93 road runs along its strath from Braemar to Aberdeen.
Natural History
The Dee is important for nature conservation and the area has many designated sites. The upper catchment is within the Cairngorms National Nature Reserve and (since 2003) Cairngorms National Park. Much of the semi-natural Caledonian pine woods in Scotland are within the Dee catchment. The area contains nationally rare examples of pinewoods, birchwoods and heather moors with associated wildlife. On the valley floor there are deciduous alder woods, mixed broadleaved woods, and meadow grasslands. Otter, Water Vole and freshwater mussel are among the animal species under threat.
The Dee is a popular salmon river, having a succession of varied pools, intersected by sharp rapids. In 1995 it was estimated that salmon fishing on the river contributed between £5 and £6 million a year to the Grampian Region economy.
History
As late as the Early Middle Ages, the River Dee, along with the Mounth, or easternmost range of the Grampian Mountains, posed a formidable barrier isolating the Scottish Highlands from the Scottish Lowlands. These geographic features, combined with the local bogs, were a factor in routing the Roman army's coastal march northward. In the first century AD, the Romans and Caledonians were using the Elsick Mounth to push northward to the Roman Camp at Normandykes on the River Dee. By the twelfth century AD construction of the Causey Mounth had begun to connect these two regions of Highlands and Lowlands terminating on the north at the site of the present Bridge of Dee. The Causey was traversed by William Keith, 7th Earl Marischal and the Duke of Montrose, when they commanded a Covenanter army of 9000 men in the first battle of the Civil War in 1639.
Royal Deeside
The area around Braemar and Ballater is known as Royal Deeside. Since the reign of Queen Victoria the British Royal Family have spent their summers at Balmoral Castle. Every year they attend the Braemar Highland Games and other local events. Birkhall, previously owned by Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother is now a favourite retreat of Prince Charles.
Famous and notable people who were either born in Royal Deeside or lived there include:
Gallery
Footnotes
External links
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