River Garnock

River Garnock
Map
Location
CountryScotland
RegionNorth Ayrshire
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • locationHill of Stake, Ayrshire, Scotland
 • elevation522 m (1,713 ft)
Mouth 
 • location
Firth of Clyde, Irvine
Length39 km (24 mi)

The River Garnock (Scottish Gaelic: Gairneag / Abhainn Ghairneig), the smallest of Ayrshire's six principal rivers,[1] has its source on the southerly side of the Hill of Stake in the heart of the Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park. About a mile and a half south of this starting point the untested stream tumbles over the Spout of Garnock, the highest waterfall in Ayrshire, once thought to be the river's origin. The river then continues, for a total length of 20 miles (32 km) or so, through the towns of Kilbirnie, Glengarnock, Dalry and Kilwinning to its confluence with the River Irvine at Irvine Harbour.

The main tributaries are the Rye Water and Caaf Water which join north and south of Dalry respectively and the Lugton Water which joins just south of Kilwinning.

  1. ^ "River Garnock". Ayrshire Rivers Trust. Retrieved 13 May 2013.