Nithraid River Race is back for another year. On Saturday 2nd September 2023, teams of intrepid sailors and coastal rowers are invited to take to the Nith in their vessels to race from Glencaple to Dumfries and back, battling it out for the best time.
Applications to enter this year’s Nithraid River Race are now open.
From teams of coastal rowers and sailing crews or single skiffs, this year the race is open to all person and wind-powered vessels equipped to make the journey safely.
The Nithraid team invite all those who like a challenge, fancy a day of fun on the Nith and want to get involved to enter the race!
Entry to the race is £15 per vessel, and this year we’ve made it even easier for you sign up. Simply visit https://thestove.org/nithraid/ and click the “enter the race” button.
All of the race rules and safety information is there, but if you want to speak to the race organises, get in touch with The Stove, either in person, by email at [email protected] or by calling 01387 252 435
About Nithraid
Through its tributaries, the River Nith connects everyone residing in Nithsdale. Nithraid Festival celebrates and explores Dumfries’ long relationship with the river and its importance to the people & communities it connects, both past, present, and future.
The Nith is a tidal river that runs through the historic market town of Dumfries, connecting the town to the sea, which in the 18th century saw the town and its neighbouring villages of Glencaple and Kingholm Quay become Scotland’s largest and busiest trading ports.
To celebrate this rich history, The Stove Network produce and manage an annual River Race, which sees teams of coastal rowers, sailing boats and various person-powered vessels race the river, battling for the best time with each boat carrying a cargo that was traded in those times.
The river’s importance to Dumfries as the region’s largest market town is immortalised in the Nithraid logo. The festival mascot, ‘Salty Coo’ symbolises the historic journey made by herds of cattle, led by their farmers, across the river at low tide, from Maxwelltown on the west bank to the cattle market at Whitesands on the east side of the river. This historic crossing site now marks the half-way point of the Nithraid River Race.
