Douglas Water

The Douglas Water is a river in South Lanarkshire, south-central Scotland. It rises in the hills separating Lanarkshire from Ayrshire, near Muirkirk. The river flows north-east and east through Douglasdale, passing the village of Douglas and the remains of Douglas Castle. The A70 road follows the river through the dale and on to the Clyde. East of Douglas, the river passes under the M74 motorway near Happendon services. The Douglas Water takes its name from the Gaelic dubh-ghlas or the Brittonic dūβ-*glẹiss, both meaning ‘black water’ or ‘black stream’. The castle beside the river was the stronghold of the House of Douglas, a powerful medieval family who took their surname from the river. The river’s course lies entirely within South Lanarkshire, and the smaller Poniel Burn joins it below Rigside. A dismantled railway line runs beside the river for the last two miles before it reaches the Clyde. Visitors to the Douglas Water can walk the riverbank paths through Douglasdale. The remains of Douglas Castle stand beside the river near the village of Douglas. The A70 road offers views of the river as it follows the dale. Near Happendon services, the river passes under the M74 motorway. The confluence with the Poniel Burn lies below Rigside, and the final stretch of the river runs beside the old railway line before it joins the Clyde.