The Water of Fail, or River Fail, is a fast-flowing river in South Ayrshire

South Ayrshire

South Ayrshire is one of 32 council areas of Scotland, covering the southern part of Ayrshire. It borders onto East Ayrshire, North Ayrshire and Dumfries and Galloway....

, 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 rises in the hills north of Tarbolton

Tarbolton

Tarbolton is a village in South Ayrshire, Scotland.- Meaning of place-name :Tarbolton has been suggested as having one of three meanings:...

, flowing generally south through Tarbolton Loch into Montgomery Woods where it joins the larger River Ayr

River Ayr

The River Ayr , longest river in what was the old county of Ayrshire of Scotland, is approximately 65 kilometres in length. It originates at Glenbuck Loch in East Ayrshire on the border of Lanarkshire and winds its way through East and South Ayrshire to the town of Ayr, where it empties into the...

 at Failford

Failford

Failford is a hamlet in South Ayrshire, Scotland. It is located west of Mauchline, where the Water of Fail flows into the River Ayr. The nearby Ayr Gorge Woodlands nature reserve is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, notable for its ancient woodland of oak, ash and beech...

, which carries its water down into the sea. The River Fail is a popular 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....

spot and has been known to have some large fish. It is just over 15 miles (24.1 km) long.