River Ythan
| River Ythan | |
|---|---|
The mouth of the River Ythan, draining into the North Sea near Newburgh | |
| Location | |
| Country | Scotland |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Wells of Ythan |
| • location | Near Ythanwells, Aberdeenshire |
| Mouth | North Sea |
• location | Near Newburgh |
| Length | 60 kilometres (37 mi) |
| Basin size | 680 square kilometres (260 sq mi) |
| Discharge | |
| • average | 6 cubic metres per second (210 cu ft/s) |
The Ythan /ˈaɪθən/ is a river in the north-east of Scotland rising at Wells of Ythan near the village of Ythanwells and flowing south-eastwards through the towns of Fyvie, Methlick and Ellon before flowing into the North Sea near Newburgh, in Formartine.
The lower reach of the river is known as the Ythan Estuary and forms part of the River Ythan, Sands of Forvie and Meikle Loch Special Protection Area for conservation, particularly as a breeding ground for three tern species (common tern, little tern and Sandwich tern) (Lumina, 2004).
The River Ythan has a catchment area of 680 km2 (260 sq mi). Reported average discharge figures vary, with estimates of 6 m3/s (210 cu ft/s) or 7.2 m3/s (250 cu ft/s).