The North Esk is a river

River

A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...

 in Angus

Angus

Angus is one of the 32 local government council areas of Scotland, a registration county and a lieutenancy area. The council area borders Aberdeenshire, Perth and Kinross and Dundee City...

 and Aberdeenshire

Aberdeenshire

Aberdeenshire is one of the 32 unitary council areas in Scotland and a lieutenancy area.The present day Aberdeenshire council area does not include the City of Aberdeen, now a separate council area, from which its name derives. Together, the modern council area and the city formed historic...

, Scotland

Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

. It is formed by the meeting of the Water of Mark (from Glen Mark

Glen Mark

Glen Mark is a glen in northern Angus, eastern Scotland, through which the Water of Mark flows. Near the mouth of the glen, at Auchronie, the Water of Mark is joined by the Water of Lee from Loch Lee to become the River North Esk. This flows through Glen Esk, one of the Five Glens of Angus.-Mount...

) and the Water of Lee (from Loch Lee

Loch Lee

Loch Lee is a loch in Angus, Scotland south of the Grampian Mountains that flows into the River North Esk. Queen Victoria described it as "a wild but not large lake, closed in by mountains, with a farm-house and a few cottages at its edge"....

), and enters the North Sea

North Sea

In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...

 four miles north of Montrose

Montrose, Angus

Montrose is a coastal resort town and former royal burgh in Angus, Scotland. It is situated 38 miles north of Dundee between the mouths of the North and South Esk rivers...

. It forms the boundary between Angus and Aberdeenshire at certain stages in its course. It was also noted in the 19th century as a good point for fishing

Fishing

Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....

.

Tributaries

Downstream of the meeting of the headwaters referred to above, the River North Esk is joined by various other tributaries. The Water of Effock enters on its right side and then the Water of Tarf enters on its left bank at Tarfside. The West Water is a considerable right bank tributary which enters near Stracathro

Stracathro

Stracathro is a small place in Angus, Scotland,-Location:Stracathro is located 2½ miles southeast of Edzell in NE Angus. It lies to the northeast of Brechin on the A90.-History:...

 in Strathmore

Strathmore

Strathmore, from the Scottish Gaelic for large valley , can refer to a number of people, places in Scotland, or places named by Scottish emigrants:-Buildings:...

. Its upper reaches are known as the Water of Saughs. The Luther Water is the last significant tributary of the North Esk; it enters on the left bank near North Water Bridge. The Luther Water drains the Howe of the Mearns.