Forth

Forth, river and firth (estuary), Scotland. The Forth rises on the slopes of Ben Lomond, near Aberfoyle at the juncture of the Avondhu River and Duchray Water. It drains an area of about 1,670 sq km (645 sq mi). It is joined by the Teith River at Stirling and then flows south-east, widening into the Firth of Forth. The total length of the river is about 106 km (66 mi). At Queensferry the river is spanned by the Forth Bridge, a cantilever railway bridge built in 1890. Nearby is the Forth Road Bridge, a suspension bridge built in 1964.

The firth extends about 77 km (48 mi) to the North Sea and is about 28 km (17y mi) wide at its mouth. The Forth is navigable to Alloa by vessels of up to about 300 gross tons; it is navigable as far inland as Stirling by vessels of up to about 100 tons. The firth is connected to the Firth of Clyde by the Forth and Clyde Canal. Bo'ness (Borrowstouness), Burntisland, Grangemouth, Kirkcaldy, and Leith are the principal ports on the Firth of Forth. Important salmon and herring fisheries and resorts are located along the lower course of the Forth River.

The middle lowland section of the river, called the Links of Forth, was the scene of the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314, in which the Scottish, under Robert Bruce, soundly defeated Edward II’s English troops.

In January 1999 a shipwreck was discovered off the Firth of Forth. It is believed to be the Blessing of Burntisland, the treasure ship of Charles I that sank during his Scottish coronation tour in 1633.