Whiteadder Water

Whiteadder Water is a river in southern Scotland that begins on the gentle slopes of Clints Dod in the Lammermuir Hills. It flows south-east for about five kilometres before joining the Faseny Water to form the Whiteadder Reservoir. From there it winds through Berwickshire beside the B6355 road, passing Ellemford and Abbey St Bathans before growing into a broad river. The Whiteadder is recognised for its fishing and natural heritage. The Ellem Angling Club, founded in 1829, holds the record as the world’s oldest verified angling club and displays its regalia at Paxton House. Salmon, sea trout, wild brown trout and trout all live in the river, with clubs such as the Whiteadder Angling Association and Berwick and District Angling Association offering access. The lower section is protected as a Site of Special Scientific Interest for its water crowfoot, salmon, lamprey and moulting mute swan. Visitors can walk the riverbank paths from Ellemford downstream through Preston, Chirnside and Allanton, where the Whiteadder meets its opposite-named tributary the Blackadder Water. Further on the river passes Foulden, Edrington and Paxton before crossing into England and joining the River Tweed north of Berwick-upon-Tweed. The landscape is rolling farmland and quiet villages, with the Whiteadder’s clear waters reflecting the sky and the low hills of the Merse.