River Eachaig

{{Short description|River in Argyll and Bute, Scotland}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox river | name = River Eachaig | native_name = | native_name_lang = | name_other = | name_etymology = place of horses<ref>{{cite book |last1=Gilles |first1=H.Cameron |title=The Place-Names of Argyll |date=1906 |publisher=D.Nutt |location=London |page=52 |url=https://www.electricscotland.com/books/placenames/placenamesofargy00gill.pdf |accessdate=26 December 2018}}</ref> | image =File:The River Eachaig, from a footbridge - geograph.org.uk - 925493.jpg | image_size = 200px | image_caption = The River Eachaig at Benmore Botanic Garden | image_alt = | map = | map_size = | map_caption = | map_alt = | pushpin_map = | pushpin_map_caption = | subdivision_type1 = | subdivision_name1 = | subdivision_type2 = | subdivision_name2 = | subdivision_type3 = | subdivision_name3 = | subdivision_type4 = | subdivision_name4 = | subdivision_type5 = | subdivision_name5 =  | source1 = Loch Eck | source1_location = Cowal | source1_coordinates= {{coord|56.038795|-4.9847063|region:GB_type:river_source|display=inline,title}} | source1_elevation = {{convert|24|m|abbr=on}} | mouth = Holy Loch | mouth_location = Cowal | mouth_coordinates = {{coord|55.998381|-4.9517269|region:GB_type:river_mouth}} | mouth_elevation = Sea level | progression = | river_system = | basin_size = | basin_landmarks = | basin_population = | tributaries_left = Little Eachaig River, River Massan | tributaries_right = Inverchapel Burn | waterbodies = | waterfalls = | bridges = | ports =  | length = | width_min = | width_avg = | width_max = | depth_min = | depth_avg = | depth_max = | discharge1_location= | discharge1_min = | discharge1_avg = | discharge1_max = | custom_label = | custom_data = | extra = }}

The '''River Eachaig''' is a river on the Cowal Peninsula, in Argyll and Bute, west of Scotland.

The river flows from Loch Eck to the Holy Loch, passing Benmore Botanic Garden, Rashfield and Cot House. It is joined by the Inverchapel Burn and the River Massan. The Little Eachaig River joins the River Eachaig immediately before it empties into the Holy Loch.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.fishpal.com/Scotland/Clyde/|title=bookings for everyone|website=www.fishpal.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.uklaws.org/statutory/instruments_15/doc15201.htm|title=The Annual Close Time (River Eachaig Salmon Fishery District) Order 1995}}</ref>

The old route from Inveraray to the Firth of Clyde involved travelling down Loch Eck, then crossing the River Eachaig to get to Dunoon – Mary Queen of Scots went this way in 1563. A small boat or punt called a coite carried passengers over the river, and the thatched house of the ferryman became known as the Cot House, eventually the Cot House Inn.<ref name="McKillop" />

Around 1835 David Napier built a road from Kilmun pier to Loch Eck as part of the "new route to Inveraray", and at this time the ferry was replaced by a wooden bridge. This in time needed replaced, and around the end of 1884 the Trustees of the Dunoon District of Roads, Argyllshire, arranged for engineers and contractors to construct a new malleable iron girder bridge spanning {{convert|70|ft|m}} over the river; this bridge was completed in May 1885.<ref name="McKillop" /> It is a single-span wrought iron double warren lattice truss bridge, spanning between abutments at each end with splayed stone parapets.<ref name="LB50433" />

thumb|left|The Eachaig Bridge built in 1885 across the River Eachaig at the Cot House Inn, Kilmun.<ref name="McKillop">{{cite web | last=McKillop | first=Tom | title=The Eachaig Bridge | website=Historic Kilmun | url=http://www.historickilmun.org/stories/the-eachaig-bridge | access-date=28 February 2019}}</ref> This route was still shown in the Ordnance Survey 7th series one-inch map published in 1960, in following decades the A815 main road was realigned with a curve crossing the river on a new bridge to the north of the old bridge, and the A880 side road from Kilmun extended to join this as a side road.<ref name="OS one-inch 1960">{{cite web | title=Explore georeferenced maps - OS one-inch map 7th series, see OpenTopoMap background for road realignment | website=National Library of Scotland | date=29 October 2018 | url=https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=15&lat=56.0052&lon=-4.9654&layers=11&b=11 | access-date=5 March 2019 | archive-date=6 October 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201006094833/https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=15&lat=56.0052&lon=-4.9654&layers=11&b=11 | url-status=dead }} ([https://maps.nls.uk/view/91553706 OS map published 1960])</ref> The old bridge is still in place, and is a listed building as a rare example of an unaltered wrought iron bridge.<ref name="LB50433">{{cite web | title=Kilmun, Eachaig Bridge Including Stone Parapets (LB50433) | website=Historic Environment Scotland | date=1 October 2015 | url=https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/designation/LB50433 | access-date=5 March 2019}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links==

* [https://web.archive.org/web/20170218235905/http://www.uklaws.org/statutory/instruments_15/doc15201.htm River Eachaig, fishing closed season] * {{cite web | title=River Eachaig circuit | website=Walkhighlands | url=http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/argyll/river-eachaig.shtml | ref={{sfnref | Walkhighlands}} | accessdate=23 April 2017}} – description of {{convert|7|km|mi}} walk, includes pronunciation of "Eachaig". * [https://www.rbge.org.uk/visit/benmore-botanic-garden/ Benmore Botanic Garden]

{{DEFAULTSORT:River Eachaig}} Eachaig Category:Cowal Category:Highlands and Islands of Scotland