The Carron

The Carron drains some 150 square miles, and is the southernmost of the Kyle rivers. Its source is only five miles from Loch Broom on the west coast. It then flows 14 miles, past Deanich Lodge (almost as remote as you can get in these islands), to the Falls at Glencalvie. A mile downstream its major tributary, the Blackwater, comes in from the west, before it descends seven miles through Strathcarron to its mouth in the lower Kyle opposite Bonar Bridge.

Anyone who tries to walk the eight miles between Carron Bridge and the Glencalvie Falls will find themselves passing through unusually varied scenery. Some stretches of the river meander through flat pastures, others are confined to rocky gorges, and pine and birch woodlands extend right down to the river in places. Salmon angling has been taken seriously on the Carron for more than a century, and over the years, access to the pools has been improved, and salmon lies have been enhanced, so even in low water the fishing is maximised.

Uniquely Kyle-of-Sutherland

Although the Kyle rivers share a common estuary, they each have their own individual characteristics as well as distinct runs of salmon. These are wild, rugged yet strangely intimate rivers, which offer a wealth of salmon angling opportunities amongst some of the most stunningly scenic backdrops in the Highlands.

The River Carron is a spate river which flows eastwards joining the Kyle of Sutherland at Bonar Bridge. Good for spring fishing on the lower river and summer sport on the upper beats.

The Carron

Falls dominate the Carron system, and anyone thinking of taking a beat needs to understand their influence. On the lower river, half a mile above Carron Bridge, the Gledfield Falls (shared by the Gledfield and Cornhill beats) are a temperature barrier in the early spring, although nowadays less formidable given the trend to milder winters. On the middle river the Moral Falls (shared by Gruinards and Braelangwell) are a more significant obstacle, which fish do not begin to ascend until the water temperature reaches around 40F, and so up until mid to late April spring fishing is concentrated on the beats below. The Glencalvie Falls, some 20 feet high, are in a different league, and only negotiable in certain very low water conditions. Below them the river flows past Amat and Glencalvie Lodges (whose beats enjoy some of the best summer fishing) to the confluence with the river's main tributary, The Blackwater.