River Isla

The River Isla is a tributary of the River Deveron in north-east Scotland. It flows for 29 kilometres through Strathisla, a broad valley of farmland and scattered woods. The river separates Keith from Fife-Keith and briefly marks the border between Moray and Aberdeenshire. Near Rothiemay it meets the Deveron and ends its course. The name comes from the Gaelic Uisge Ìle, meaning simply ‘water of the Isla’. Strathisla is an old farming district where barley and cattle have been raised for centuries. The river’s steady flow once powered several mills along its banks. Today the valley is recognised for its quiet lanes and wide skies. A long-distance path, the Isla Way, follows the river for 21 kilometres. Walkers pass through fields of oats and barley, crossing stone bridges built in the 19th century. The river’s banks are lined with willows and alders, home to herons and sandpipers. The water is shallow enough to wade in summer, revealing smooth stones and small trout. The Isla Way offers views of distant hills and the rounded knolls of Strathisla. At dusk the valley fills with the calls of curlews and snipe. The river ends quietly where it joins the Deveron, its waters mingling beneath the old Rothiemay bridge.