TheRiver Beauly (Scottish Gaelic:Abhainn nam Manach,pronounced[ˈavɪɲnəˈmanəx]) is a river in theScottish Highlands, about 15 km west of the city ofInverness.
It is about 25 km long, beginning near the village ofStruy, at the confluence of theRiver Farrar and theRiver Glass (grid referenceNH408399). The river meanders as it flows east, passing to the south of the village ofBeauly and into theBeauly Firth.
The river was first bridged in about 1817, whenThomas Telford constructed the five arched Lovat Bridge about 1 km south west of Beauly.[1] This bridge carried theA9, the main route north, until theKessock Bridge was opened in 1982. A railway bridge across the river on the outskirts of Beauly was built in the 1860s to carry the Inverness & Ross-shire Railway (now theFar North Line). Another road bridge, near Kilmorack, was built in the 20th century.
The river is part of theAffric-Beauly hydro-electric power scheme, with dams and power stations atAigas andKilmorack. Both have 20MW generators and includefish ladders to allow salmon to pass, the Aigas fish ladder is open to visitors in the summer.
Eilean Aigas is an island in the river.
57°25′17″N4°39′10″W / 57.42148°N 4.65268°W /57.42148; -4.65268