Firth of Tay

The Firth of Tay (; ) is a firth in Scotland between the council areas of Fife, Perth and Kinross, the City of Dundee and Angus, into which Scotland's largest river in terms of flow, the River Tay empties. The firth has a maximum width of  at Invergowrie.

Two bridges span the firth, the Tay Road Bridge and the Tay Rail Bridge.

The firth has one major island, the marshy Mugdrum Island.

The Firth of Tay in Antarctica was discovered in 1892–93 by Captain Thomas Robertson of the Dundee whaling expedition and named by him after the one in Scotland. He also named nearby Dundee Island in honour of the main city on the firth.

Natural heritage
The Firth of Tay and Eden Estuary were designated a Ramsar sites on 28 July 2000, as a Special Protection Area on 2 February 2000 and as a Special Area of Conservation on 17 March 2005. Several parts are within a site of special scientific interest – Inner Tay Estuary, Monifieth Bay, Tayport-Tentsmuir Coast. The Invergowrie Bay section is a local nature reserve.

The Firth of Tay is noted for its extensive sand and mudflats, its population of common seals and for its wintering birds such as oystercatcher, bar-tailed godwit, shelduck and velvet scoter. There is good access to much of the shoreline and many good wildlife watching opportunities.

At some 15 km in length, the reedbed on the north shore of the inner estuary is thought to be the most extensive in Britain.

Towns and villages along the coast
Balmerino
Broughty Ferry
Dundee
Invergowrie
Kingoodie
Monifieth
Newburgh
Newport-on-Tay
Tayport
 Woodhaven
 Wormit

Places of interest
Balmerino Abbey
Broughty Castle Museum
Mugdrum Island
Tay Rail Bridge
Tay Road Bridge
Tentsmuir Forest
Tentsmuir National Nature Reserve

References

Tay
Category:Bodies of water of the North Sea
Category:River Tay
Category:Ramsar sites in Scotland
Category:Landforms of Perth and Kinross
Category:Landforms of Fife
Category:Landforms of Dundee
Category:Landforms of Angus