The River Don

The River Don is one of the north-east of Scotland's major rivers. It rises in the heart of the Cairngorm mountains between Braemar and Tomintoul. It provided power and water to many industries along its course, some of which still survive today. There are still working paper mills at Mugiemoss and Inverurie.

Donmouth today
The Donmouth area has changed dramatically since the days of the original port surrounded by St Machar's Cathedral and the Kings College. Today Donmouth is part of the central urban area of the city of Aberdeen, the oil capital of Europe, but it retains much of its natural feel. It is crossed by the A92 trunk road and has houses along the north bank but it is still a wildlife haven. North of the river mouth is the start of the largest dune system in Scotland which extends up to Collieston some 12 miles north. Many hundreds of wading birds and other waterfowl such as teal, goldeneye and tufted duck spend the winter here. Seals haul out on the islands in the river and if you are very lucky you may even see an otter.

The Reserve is made up of 5 main habitats:-

The River
There are pleasant walks along both sides of the river, up to the historic Brig O' Balgownie, dating from 1286, and down to the beach and sand dunes. Without the continual interaction of the water in the river and sea Donmouth would not exist. The erosion and deposition of sand and silt by the river and sea along with the coming together of the salt and fresh water have moulded the shape of the estuary and the range of wildlife that lives in and around it. At low tide the mudlflats are a wading bird restaurant. The mud is full of tiny worms snails and shellfish which the waders probe for with their long beaks. The water itself is home to fish and other small creatures, many of which hide amongst the weed. The seals, ducks, cormorants and herons will find a good meal here too!

Woodland
The southern bank between the two bridges is wooded right down to the waters edge. Species include willow, ash, sycamore and beech. At the waters edge look out for birds drinking and washing or just taking shelter. In the summer months the trees are home to a wide variety of small birds including willow warblers, blue tits and whitethroats.

The beach and sand dunes
The beach north of the Don has been allowed to develop fairly naturally. Sand dunes dominate the landward side of the beach. These have built up over hundreds of years as sand collects around rocks and patches of vegetation. The dunes are constantly moving as the sand is blown around, and by the wave action from the sea. The dunes were 30metres or more nearer the sea within living memory. Marram grass and sea lyme grass are two of the most common plants of the dunes. These are both adapted to being buried by sand and to a lack of moisture. These species are important in helping to develop and stabilise the dunes. On some of the more stable dunes birdsfoot trefoil, yellow rattle and wild pansy thrive. Also look out for skylarks singing overhead in the early summer and common blue, red admiral or dark-green fritillary butterflies feeding on the flowers.

Saltmarsh
Along the south shore east of the King St bridge there is a small area of saltmarsh. This ground is submerged at the highest tides, but for much of the time is above the water level. A number of plants can be found here which are adapted to being submerged by salt water occasionally. These include scurvy grass, sea lavender and sea club rush. The salt marsh is also used as a refuge at high tide for the wading birds. Sea The sea has given Aberdeen much of its prosperity. Its constantly changing moods always give something to watch. Look out for birds such as gannets or eider ducks moving up and down the coasts or if you are lucky you could see a dolphin or porpoise.

History

The original settlement of Aberdeen, now known as Old Aberdeen, was built around a port at the mouth of the Don near Donmouth. The river then flowed out to sea through a much wider estuary. The main channel would frequently silt up and move, sometimes, almost as far south as the River Dee. As trade increased and ships got larger the port was no longer suitable and the new town of Aberdeen started to develop around the Dee estuary with the birth of the modern harbour.