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Solway Firth

The Solway Firth[a] is an inlet on the west coast of Great Britain, forming part of the border between England and Scotland.[b] The "firth" (a Scottish term for inlets of the sea) divides Cumbria (including the Solway Plain) from Dumfries and Galloway. It stretches from St Bees Head, just south of Whitehaven in Cumbria, to the Mull of Galloway, on the western end of Dumfries and Galloway. The Isle of Man is also very near to the firth. The firth comprises part of the Irish Sea.

This article is about the body of water. For the song by Slipknot, see Solway Firth (song).

Solway Firth

The firth's coastline is characterised by lowland hills and small mountains. It is a mainly rural area, with mostly small villages and settlements (such as Powfoot). Fishing, hill farming, and some arable farming play a large part in the local economy, although tourism is increasing.


The northern part of the English coast of the Solway Firth was designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, known as the Solway Coast, in 1964.[2] Construction of the Robin Rigg Wind Farm in the firth began in 2007.


Within the firth, there are some salt flats and mud flats that can be dangerous, due to their frequently shifting patches of quicksand.

Wildlife[edit]

There are over 290 square kilometres (110 sq mi) of Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) in the area of the firth (one of which is Salta Moss), as well as national nature reserves — at Caerlaverock and in Cumbria.[3][4] On the Cumbrian side, much of the coastline has been designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). The Solway Coast’s AONB has two separate sections: the first runs westward from just north of Carlisle to Skinburness; the second runs south from the hamlet of Beckfoot, past Mawbray and Allonby, to Crosscanonby.


In 2013, the honeycomb worm and blue mussel were designated as targets of conservation efforts, and Allonby Bay (an inlet of the Solway Firth) was put forward as a candidate for a Marine Conservation Zone.[5][6]

Long-distance walking route[edit]

A 53-mile (85 km) long-distance walking route, the Annandale Way,[7] runs through Annandale, from the source of the River Annan, in the Moffat Hills, to the Solway Firth; it was opened in September 2009.[8]

Hestan Island

Rough Island

Little Ross

The so-called (which is actually a peninsula).

Isle of Whithorn

The

Islands of Fleet

Unlike other parts of the west coast of Scotland, the Solway Firth has only a few islands. They are:

in England

in Scotland

The Solway Firth is the estuary of the River Eden and the River Esk.


Below are links to lists of the other rivers that flow into the firth:

Hazards[edit]

The Ministry of Defence had by 1999 fired more than 6,350 depleted uranium rounds into the Solway Firth from its testing range at Dundrennan Range.[14]

The Solway Firth has been used as the location for films. For example, the 1973 film was filmed around Kirkcudbright and Burrow Head on the Wigtownshire coast.

The Wicker Man

In July 2019, the American metal band released a song called “Solway Firth” that is named after the firth.

Slipknot

Anglo-Scottish border

Solway Plain

Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust

Solway Firth Spaceman

Neilsen, George (1899). "Annals of Solway – Until A.D. 1307". In Forbes, Peter (ed.). Transactions of the Glasgow Archaeological Society. New Series. Vol. III. Glasgow: James Maclehose & Sons. pp. 245–308. (available at books.google.com)

Ordnance Survey, (2003), Carlisle & Solway Firth, Landranger Map, No. 85, Ed.D., Scale 1:50 000 (1¼ inches to 1 mile),  0-319-22822-3

ISBN

Ordnance Survey, (2006), Solway Firth, Explorer Map, No. 314, Ed. A2, Scale 1:25 000 (2½ inches to 1 mile),  0-319-23839-3

ISBN

Solway Shore Stories

The Powfoot Spa