Wick River

The Wick River flows for 16 kilometres through Caithness in the Highland region of Scotland. It rises near Achingale Mill where the Scouthal Burn and Strath Burn meet, then travels south-east through boggy moorland known as the Flow Country. The river ends in Wick Bay, where its estuary meets the North Sea beside the town of Wick. The Wick River basin includes several lochs such as Loch Watten and Loch Tofingall to the west, and Loch Hempriggs and the Loch of Yarrows to the south-west. The estuary stretches about 2.5 kilometres inland from Wick Harbour, where the river channel has been narrowed by artificial embankments. The river is crossed by one railway bridge, three road bridges and two footbridges, including the Harbour Bridge at the river’s mouth and the Bridge of Wick further upstream. Visitors to Wick can walk along the riverbanks or cross the bridges to reach recreational meadows on either side. The railway bridge links Wick with Thurso and Inverness, while the A882 road bridge at Watten connects Wick with Thurso. The river’s tributaries include the Burn of Newton, the Burn of Thrumster and the Achairn Burn, all flowing through quiet countryside before joining the main river.