Gala Water

The Gala Water (Lowland Scots: Gala Watter; Scottish Gaelic An Geal Ath) is a river in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland and a tributary of the River Tweed. It is sometimes known as the "Gala", which nickname is also shared with Galashiels, which it flows through. The "Braw Lads O Gala Watter" is a song about people from Galashiels. Heriot Water is a tributary coming in from the west, and is larger than Gala Water before their confluence.

Gala Water

Etymology

The name Gala may be from the Old English galga meaning "gallows" (Scots galwe),^[1] perhaps by back-formation from Galashiels.^[1] Or else, Gala may originally be from Brittonic,^[1] and derived from *gāl meaning "enmity, hatred" (Welsh gâl),^[1] or cognate to the Welsh verb galw, "call" (Cornish galow, "a call").^[1] The river may share an etymology with Gala Lane in Ayrshire, which flows into Loch Doon.^[1]

Levels

At Galashiels the depth of the water is between 0.19 metres (0.62 ft) and 1.38 metres (4.5 ft), although was as deep at 2.88 metres (9.4 ft) on one occasion in 2002.^[2]

See also

• List of places in the Scottish Borders
• Leader Water

Gallery

• 
  Gala Water at Fountainhall Bridge
• 
  Gala Bridge at Fountainhall
• 
  Gala Water near Torquhan
• 
  Bridge over Gala Water at Stow