Urr Water

A historical perspective, drawn from the Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland: A Survey of Scottish Topography, Statistical, Biographical and Historical, edited by Francis H. Groome and originally published in parts by Thomas C. Jack, Grange Publishing Works, Edinburgh between 1882 and 1885.

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Urr Water, a river of Kirkcudbrightshire, issuing from bleak Leh Urr (5 o 4 furl.; 680 feet), at the meeting-point of Glencairn, Dunscore, and Balmaclellan parishes, and flowing 27¼ miles south-by-eastward along the boundaries of Dunscore, Balmaclellan, KirkpatrickDurham, Parton, Crossmichael, Urr, Buittle, and Colvend, till it falls into the Solway Firth near the little island of Hestan, midway between the Nith and the Dee. Its tributaries are numerous, but, excepting Kirkgunzeon Lane or Dalbeattie Burn, they are all individually inconsiderable. About 4¼ miles before losing itself in the Solway, it begins to expand into an estuary, which, with a maximum breadth of 1¹/₈ mile, embosoms Rough Island. The Urr is naturally navigable for considerable craft 3 miles above its incipient expansion, or 7¼ above its embouchure, and could easily, at small expense, be deepened over this distance, and rendered navigable higher up. It affords good sea-trout and fairish rivertrout fishing; whilst salmon are caught in considerable quantities in wet summers; but in dry seasons sea-fish can get but little higher than the flow of the tide. For a number of miles after issuing from Loch Urr, it holds its course through a wild country and over an irregular channel; but it eventually begins to show some strips of level and fertile ground upon its banks; and from the point where it begins to run along the margin of the parish of Urr, it pursues its way among increasingly level and cultivated grounds.—Ord. Sur., shs. 9, 5, 1863-57. Ury, a troutful stream of Aberdeenshire, rising 4 ¼ miles SSE of Huntly, and winding 19¾ south-eastward through or along the boundaries of Gartly, Drumblade, Insch, Forgue, Culsalmond, Oyne, Rayne, Chapel-of-Garioch, Keithhall, and Inverurie parishes, till it falls into the Don a little below the town of Inverurie.—Ord. Sur., shs. 86, 76, 1876-74. Ury. See Urie.

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Note: This text has been made available using a process of scanning and optical character recognition. Despite manual checking, some typographical errors may remain. Please remember this description dates from the 1880s; names may have changed, administrative divisions will certainly be different and there are known to be occasional errors of fact in the original text, which we have not corrected because we wish to maintain its integrity. This information is provided subject to our standard disclaimer