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The River Forth meanders over fertile farmlands near Stirling
The River Forth, 47 km (29 miles) 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 mountain range some 30 km (19 miles) 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 Alloa and Airth. Upon reaching Kincardine the river begins to widen into an
estuary, the Firth of
Forth.
Navigation on the Forth
In medieval times the Forth was navigable at least as far as Stirling, but
silting and the increase in ship sizes now mean that
traffic upstream of Kincardine is rare.
Bridges over the Forth
Upstream of Stirling, the river is rather small and is crossed in numerous places (although prior to modern drainage works,
the ground was often treacherously marchy near the riverbank). After its confluence with the Teith and Allan, the river is sufficiently wide that a significant bridge is required. A
bridge has existed at Stirling since at least the 13th Century, and until the opening of the road crossing at Kincardine in 1936, Stirling remained the easternmost road crossing. Much further downstream (at Queensferry) the famous rail bridge opened in 1890 and a
modern road bridge in 1964.
See also
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