Bruar 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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Bruar, a rivulet of Blair Athole parish, N Perthshire, formed, 1 mile from the Inverness-shire border, by several head-streams that rise on the Grampians at elevations of 2000 and 2700 feet. Thence it runs 9¾ miles southward, past Ben Dearg (3304 feet), and under the Highland railway and the Glen-Garry highroad, till it enters the Garry, 1¾ mile E by N of Struan station, and 2¾ W by N of Blair Athole. In all it descends from 1800 to 500 feet; and during the last 2 miles of its course it forms three series of romantic falls. The reach comprising these traverses a deep ravine, spanned at intervals by natural arches and by bridges, overhung by impending rocks, and covered, on shelves and acclivities and crests, with planted wood. The first or highest series of falls is threefold, and makes an aggregate descent of some 200 feet; the next, ½ mile lower down, is single, taking a leap of nearly 50 feet; and the last series is a succession of cascades, cataracts rather than falls, and nowhere more than 12 feet high. The wood that now feathers the falls and adorns the ravine was wanting in 1787 when Burns addressed his Humble Petition of Bruar Water to the Duke of Athole; and it was all of it planted in answer thereto. Not only were a vast number of larch, Scotch pine, and beech trees so planted as vastly to enhance the beauty of the scene, but numerous walks were formed, and convenient seats and summerhouses erected. The falls were visited by Wordsworth and his sister, 7 Sept. 1803; and by the Queen and Prince Consort, 18 Sept. 1844. The falls, in order to be seen in their perfection, must be visited when the rivulet is in a state of freshet.

An accompanying 19th C. Ordnance Survey map is available, or use the map tab to the right of this page.

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

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