Introduction to The Dighty
The Dighty burn labelled the hardest working stream in Scotland flows through the city of Dundee. The Dighty begins its journey at Lundie loch located in the Sidlaw hills, from here it travels down through the countryside into Dundee passing Trottick and Caird Park flowing into the more populated areas of Fintry and Douglas ending its journey by joining the Firth of Tay at Monifieth beach. The Dighty is an energetic body of water with a highly diverse green space, hidden amongst Dundee’s housing estates and natural reserves. Along its banks - which stretch 15 miles- you walk through the low rolling hills of the Sidlaws down into the city through Claverhouse - where you can spot ruins of mills - then into Douglas where modern industry such as the wind turbines have taken over from the mills. Eventually returning to nature and ending beside the sea.
The Dighty has a long history of suppling Dundee with a fresh water source and later, begining in the 16th century, a power source. From the 1500s mills began to pop up along its banks reaching their hight in the 19th century. At which time the Burn powered up to 30 mills most of them bleachworks supporting Dundees thriving textiles industry.
FDCA ARCHIVES ARGUS 1997 DIGHTY VALLEY PICTURE TOUR
The Dighty is understated but contributes to a large part of Dundee’s history and success. Many people have walked along its banks and seen the Dighty as a source of inspiration, whether this inspiration has been used to utilise the burn for industry or inspire writing. For me it is a point of interest, a hidden gem with a variety of scenery and such an important history the Dighty is easy to draw from. The water has evolved and changed over the year and now seems to be entering a new phase of life reverting back to its natural state- bar a few shopping trollies and plastic bags- with the help of Dighty Connects a local community project working to make the water into a green space again.
