River Almond, Lothian

Running through areas that were dominated for much of the 20th century by heavy industry and shale- and coal mining, the River Almond has long been notorious for its high levels of pollution.^[2]

With the demise of mining and heavy industry in Central Scotland, the river became cleaner, and it is being actively repopulated by wildlife: there is a healthy population of brown trout and there are improving runs of both Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) and sea trout (Salmo trutta). There is also a good array of birds to be seen around the river banks, including dippers, kingfishers and grey herons, and increasing numbers of otters are being reported.^{[citation needed]}

The river is still the primary means by which southern West Lothian's wastewater is transported to the sea. Although the introduction of a number of water treatment plants have helped to mitigate the river’s pollution, it still suffers from high levels of detergent pollution and run-off from agricultural land. This has caused it to often have what has been described as a distinct "chemical odour". This odour is most noticeable in the part of the river that runs through Almondell and Calderwood Country Park, where there is a major outfall from the nearby East Calder treatment plant.^{[citation needed]}

Fishing on the river is leased from the Crown Estate and permits are required.^[4] Fishing on the upper Almond (up to Kirkliston) is managed by the West Lothian Angling Association and on the lower Almond (Kirkliston to Cramond) by the Cramond Angling Club.^[4][5]

The mouth of the Almond at Cramond formerly had a small passenger ferry. In 1997, the ferryman discovered the Cramond Lioness, a Roman-era sculpture, in the mud of the river bed. The sculpture is now in the Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh.^[6]

v t e River Almond, Lothian route map
Legend
km 45 Cant Hill 43 Covenanter Road 42 41 40  B7066  Greenrigg-Polkemmet-Whitburn cycle path 39  M8  38 How Burn 37  A706  White Burn 35  M8  34  A801  Swinabby Blackburn Village Bridge  A705  Latch Burn 32  B792  31 Blackburnhall Road 30 Foulshiels Burn 28 Breich Water Dean Burn 27 Almond Pool West Almond Pool East 26  B7015  Mill Leat Kirkton Weir Mill Pond 25 Charlesfield Bridge Lochshot Burn Livingston Bridge Killandean Burn 24 Folly Burn Alderstone Road bridge 23 The Bridge to Remembrance 22 Howden South Road bridge Dedridge Burn Howden Bridge Almond Valley Bridge Almondbank Path footbridge Craigshill Bypass Channel 20 Almond Path footbridge North Bridge Murieston Water 19 Almond Feeder Almondell footbridge Almondell Viaduct Almondell Aqueduct Bank Burn 18 Nasmyth Bridge Mandela Bridge 17 16 15 Union Canal, Almond Aqueduct  M8  14 Birdsmill Viaduct 12 Almond Valley Viaduct New Bridge 11  A89  Brox Burn  M9  10 Maitland Bridge Niddry Burn Swine Burn 9 7 Boathouse Bridge 6 Gogar Burn 5 Almond Viaduct 3 Grotto Bridge Bughtlin Burn Cramond New Bridge 2 Cramond Old Bridge 1 Fair-a-far Weir Cramond Marina Firth of Forth km Note: Distances are rounded to the nearest kilometer.

The river begins its journey at Cant Hills north of Shotts, North Lanarkshire and runs past Whitburn, Blackburn and Seafield towards Kirkton and then through the centre of Livingston. After exiting Livingston it passes Mid Calder, East Calder, Newbridge, Kirkliston, Edinburgh Airport and towards the mouth of the river at Cramond, where it joins the Firth of Forth near Cramond Island.^[2]

Illieston Castle is on the river, near the Almond Aqueduct. The Stewart kings James II and James IV are said to have had a hunting lodge at Illieston. The present three-storey house is probably of late 16th century or early 17th century date. It was purchased by John Ellis, an advocate in Edinburgh, around 1663. He added a Renaissance gateway inscribed with his initials and the date 1665. Later it became the property of the Earl of Hopetoun. It is now a private house.^[7][8]

The industrial heritage of central Scotland can be observed along the length of the river with numerous weirs, remains of mills and other riverside industries of the past.

The Almond Feeder, also known as the Union Canal Feeder, is the main water source of the Union Canal.^[31] At East Calder the River Almond passes over a weir which supplies the feeder which carries water into the Union Canal. Due to the height difference where the river passes under the canal, this feeder runs eastwards for 3 kilometres (1.9 miles) before reaching the canal at the Almond Aqueduct. The feeder has multiple tunnels and crosses the River Almond itself via the Almondell Aqueduct. By following paths through the country park and along private land to the east, it is possible to follow the river and feeder all the way to the Union Canal.^[32][33]

• List of rivers of Scotland
• History of the oil shale industry