Water in Scotland

In message <ze3vc.36$PT.24@newsfe6-win>, Ben Draper
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

I guess that I have been lurking here for long enough, just
wanted to ask a quick question: I am headed up to Scotland
for a few days, does anyone know about the safety of
drinking untreated water in the mountainous regions of
Scotland. i.e. should I be worried about water borne
parasites, viruses etc I will take reasonable precautions
about taking water from flowing streams, but should I be
boiling or treating the water in some way?

Just got back from nearly three weeks of drinking untreated
stream water in Scotland - and other than the diarrhoea,
dysentery, giardia and e-coli I'm fine :-)

Did spot someone taking water from a stream - and then
witnessed someone else urinating very near the loch from
which the stream was the outflow
- which was a tad worrying. But then a peck of dirt
and all that.

--
Martin Richardson
239/284 Munros - 15% to go 34/34 'Furths' & 439/439 Nuttalls
- 0% to go
240/89 Donalds - 53% to go 0/? Himalayans - 100% to go
241/1552 Marilyns - 72% to go

* The air of uk.rec.walking was filled with the
delicate perfume
* of violets, as Ben Draper <[email hidden]> descended on a
shaft
* of golden sunlight, and announced:

Quoted message said:

I am headed up to Scotland for a few days, does anyone
know about the safety of drinking untreated water in the
mountainous regions of Scotland. i.e. should I be worried
about water borne parasites, viruses etc I will take
reasonable precautions about taking water from flowing
streams, but should I be boiling or treating the water in
some way?

I've always drunk the water straight from the burns once I
get high enough and far enough away from casual day-
walkers, and never had any problems. I also try to avoid
still water sources.

Regards: Jim Ford

"Ben Draper" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:ze3vc.36$PT.24@newsfe6-win...

Quoted message said:

I guess that I have been lurking here for long enough,
just wanted to ask

a

Quoted message said:

quick question: I am headed up to Scotland for a few days,
does anyone know about the

safety

Quoted message said:

of drinking untreated water in the mountainous regions of
Scotland. i.e. should I be worried about water borne
parasites, viruses etc I will take reasonable precautions
about taking water from flowing streams, but should

I

Quoted message said:

be boiling or treating the water in some way?

After 30 + years of drinking water from Highland Scottish
waters' I'm still living, Although I'd suggest, do not drink
the waters that are downstream of Bothies / Camping sites
etc. Unless boiled.

Or use purification tablets (Yuck) if you are uncertain!

--
Jonti

In article <ze3vc.36$PT.24@newsfe6-win>, Ben Draper
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

I guess that I have been lurking here for long enough, just
wanted to ask a quick question: I am headed up to Scotland
for a few days, does anyone know about the safety of
drinking untreated water in the mountainous regions of
Scotland. i.e. should I be worried about water borne
parasites, viruses etc I will take reasonable precautions
about taking water from flowing streams, but should I be
boiling or treating the water in some way?

You will be taking a risk, but only you can really assess
that risk!

I suspect that the vast majority of people who drink from
flowing mountain streams (though please note that in
Scotland they are called burns!) have survived unscathed
after taking reasonable precautions, such as getting as
close to the source as possible and checking for obvious
animal presence. However, there is always a chance that a
sheep or a deer will have slipped into the stream somewhere
above you and died, or even just peed or defaecated. Giardia
is certainly present in deer in Scotland and, by all
accounts, not very nice if it infects humans. And e-coli has
been found in deer, sheep and goats in Scotland.

Enjoy yourself!

--
Malcolm

Ben Draper said:

I am headed up to Scotland for a few days, does anyone
know about the safety of drinking untreated water in the
mountainous regions of Scotland.

It's basically fine. Just avoid drinking out of streams
once you're down at agrochemical runoff levels down in the
farmed glens.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch University of Dundee Tel 44 1382 660111 ext.
33637 Medical Physics, Ninewells Hospital Fax 44 1382 640177
Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net [email hidden]
dundee.ac.uk~pjclinchOpen ↗

Thanks for your help everyone, I will try not to worry too
much about the water, and follow the sensible precautions
from people here!

"Jim Ford" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I've always drunk the water straight from the burns once I
get high enough and far enough away from casual day-
walkers, and never had any problems. I also try to avoid
still water sources.

Regards: Jim Ford

Snap! I'm with Jim, no problems, don't drink when there's
obviously someone or something depositing waste nearby.
It's cold, clean and cancer free. It tastes good and
costs nothing.

KRO

Malcolm said:

In article <ze3vc.36$PT.24@newsfe6-win>, Ben Draper
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

I guess that I have been lurking here for long enough,
just wanted to ask a quick question: I am headed up to
Scotland for a few days, does anyone know about the safety
of drinking untreated water in the mountainous regions of
Scotland. i.e. should I be worried about water borne
parasites, viruses etc I will take reasonable precautions
about taking water from flowing streams, but should I be
boiling or treating the water in some way?

I have used the following methods to obtain water in
Scotland: Due to the frequency of rainy days by using a
piece of plastic builders sheeting/ tarpaulin of about 8ft
square you can collect a couple of gallons of water in a
very short time. Just drape the sheet over a slope, bush or
tie in a "V" shape from a wall or tree branches with a slope
to the fold. Use a water container to catch the runoff.
Alternatively dig a small hole and lay the sheet over the
hole. Push the sheet down into the hole with the corners
weighted to stop it being blown away. Scoop out the
collected water with a cup. The water tastes delightful and
free from the soot taste of English rainwater.

If you hit upon a dry period then previous readers
suggestions will be the obvious choice. Many farms and
houses in remote places are sited near burns as they are the
only source of water.

Norman

The message <auYvc.34$Gc1.21@newsfe3-gui>
from "Ben Draper" <[email hidden]> contains these words:

Quoted message said:

Thanks for your help everyone, I will try not to worry too
much about the water, and follow the sensible precautions
from people here!

I missed this thread but if it is the question of "Can you
drink the water in Scotland?" I would answer: I always take
my water from mountain streams and drink without any boiling
or other treatment. I work in a Vet Lab dealing with
farmers' problems in the far north of Scotland and am aware
of the parasites that are carried by deer and sheep but
don't let it worry me. It is my opinion, and I stress *my
opinion* that so long as the water is flowing rapidly
downhilll over rocks it will be oxygenated and ok to drink.

--
Cheers, Compo

* The air of uk.rec.walking was filled with the
delicate perfume
* of violets, as Paul Simonite <[email hidden]>
descended on a shaft
* of golden sunlight, and announced:

<SNIP>

Quoted message said:

let it worry me. It is my opinion, and I stress *my
opinion* that so long as the water is flowing
rapidly downhilll over rocks it will be oxygenated
and ok to drink.

How does the flowing over rocks and oxygenation purify
the water? I thought the fact that water that flows fast
downhill has a rapid 'turnover', is the key to
(relative) purity.

Rgards: Jim Ford

Burn water has served me well for many years.. I will let
the salesmen for Kathedin talk to the wind

Richard Webb

The message <[email hidden]>
from Jim Ford <[email hidden]> contains these words:

Quoted message said:

I thought the fact that water that flows fast downhill has
a rapid 'turnover', is the key to (relative) purity.

Quoted message said:

Rgards: Jim Ford

You are of course correct Jim, apologies for not making
myself clear.

--
Cheers, Compo