River Forth

The River Forth (Gaelic: Abhainn Dubh, meaning "black river", in the upper reach above Stirling, and Uisge For in the tidal reach below Stirling), 47 km (29 mi) long, is the major river draining the eastern part of the central belt of Scotland.

The Forth rises in Loch Ard in the Trossachs, a mountainous area some 30 km (19 mi) west of Stirling. It flows roughly eastward, through Aberfoyle, joining with the Duchray Water and Kelty Water, and out over the flat expanse of the Flanders Moss. It is then joined by the River Teith (which itself drains Loch Venachar, Loch Lubnaig, Loch Katrine, and Loch Voil) and the River Allan, before meandering through the ancient city of Stirling. At Stirling the river widens and becomes tidal, and it is here that the last (seasonal) ford of the river exists. From Stirling, the Forth flows east over the Carse of Stirling and past the towns of Cambus (where it is joined by the river Devon), Alloa, Fallin and Airth. Upon reaching Kincardine the river begins to widen into an estuary, the Firth of Forth.