A reservoir lying on the course of the Bavelaw Burn within the Pentland Hills, Threipmuir Reservoir lies 2 miles (3 km) southeast of Balerno, to the south of Edinburgh. It was built 1843-48 by engineer James Jardine (1776 - 1858) as one of a network of reservoirs that supply the city with water. This function has now been discontinued and instead the reservoir forms part of a flood-prevention scheme. The reservoir was sold by Scottish Water to the City of Edinburgh Council in 2006. Retained by an earth embankment dam 400m (1312 feet) in length and 9.5m (31 feet) high, it extends to an area of 94.8 ha (234 acres). The maximum water depth is 5.2m (17 feet) and the reservoir has a capacity of 2359 million litres (519 million gallons). Two causeways cross the reservoir at Easter Bavelaw and at Redford Bridge. Threipmuir discharges into the smaller Harlaw Reservoir below and hence into the Bavelaw Burn. Both reservoirs provide essential upstream flood storage to prevent flooding of the Water of Leith.
Threipmuir contains wild brown trout. The fishing rights are shared between Bavelaw Estate and Malleny Estate with the former owning the shooting rights, which they exercise. Fishing is let to the Malleny Angling Association which also stocks the reservoir with brown and rainbow trout to provide recreational fishery.
Use the tabs on the right of this page to see other parts of this entry
If you have found this information useful please consider making
a donation to help maintain and improve this resource. More info...
