Kinnel Water

The Kinnel Water is a river in Dumfries and Galloway, southern Scotland. It rises near the Lowther Hills, just north of Queensberry, close to the border with South Lanarkshire. The river begins near the River Clyde and flows south-east through hilly land before turning south. After running alongside the A701 for a few kilometres, it meets the River Annan near Lochmaben. The Kinnel Water is about thirty-two kilometres long and drops four hundred and two metres in height. The river’s upper course passes through quiet, sparsely populated countryside with few settlements. Templand is the largest village along its banks, where the Kinnel Bridge, a Category A listed stone bridge built in 1723, crosses the water. Near Templand stands Ross Mains, a listed farmhouse, while Raehills House, a mansion belonging to the Earl of Annandale and Hartfell, overlooks the river further upstream. Visitors follow the river’s course through open moorland and farmland, crossing the old Kinnel Bridge near Templand. The bridge’s three stone arches date from the 18th century, widened a century later. Upstream, Raehills House appears among mature trees beside the water. The landscape remains peaceful, with only scattered farms and no major roads close by.