Editing Firth of Tay

{{Short description|Estuary of the River Tay in Scotland}}
{{For|the landform in Antarctica|Firth of Tay (Antarctica)}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2024}}
{{Infobox body of water
| name                 = Firth of Tay
| native_name          = 
| image                = 
| caption              = 
| pushpin_map          = Scotland
| pushpin_map_caption  = Location in Scotland
| image_bathymetry     = 
| caption_bathymetry   = 
| location             = [[Scotland]], [[United Kingdom]]
| coordinates          = {{Coord|56.44|N|03.00|W|region:GB_type:waterbody_scale:250000|display=inline,title}}
| type                 = 
| inflow               = 
| rivers               = 
| outflow              = 
| catchment            = 
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| length               = 
| width                = 
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| frozen               = 
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| website              = 
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| embedded             = {{Designation list
| embed                = yes
| designation1         = Ramsar
| designation1_offname = Firth of Tay and Eden Estuary
| designation1_date    = 28 July 2000
| designation1_number  = 1034<ref>{{Cite web |title=Firth of Tay and Eden Estuary |website=[[Ramsar Convention|Ramsar]] Sites Information Service |url=https://rsis.ramsar.org/ris/1034 |access-date=25 April 2018}}</ref>}}
}}

[[File:Firthoftaymap.png|thumb|375px|A map of the Firth of Tay and environs]]

The '''Firth of Tay''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|t|eɪ}}; {{langx|gd|Linne Tatha}}) is a [[firth]] on the east coast of Scotland, into which empties the [[River Tay]] (Scotland's largest river in terms of flow). The firth is surrounded by four [[council areas]]: [[Fife]], [[Perth and Kinross]], [[Dundee City (council area)|Dundee City]], and [[Angus, Scotland|Angus]]. Its maximum width (at [[Invergowrie]]) is {{cvt|3|mi|km}}.<ref>{{cite web |title=Tay, Firth of |url=http://www.angusahead.com/AngusListings/Features/TayFirthofG1122.asp |publisher=Angus Council |access-date=26 February 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080907010618/http://www.angusahead.com/AngusListings/Features/TayFirthofG1122.asp |archive-date=7 September 2008}}</ref>

Two bridges span the firth: the [[Tay Road Bridge]] and the [[Tay Rail Bridge]].<ref>{{cite web |title=The Tay Bridges |url=http://www.tayestuary.co.uk/taybridgeinfo.htm |work=Tay Estuary |access-date=26 February 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130114234632/http://www.tayestuary.co.uk/taybridgeinfo.htm |archive-date=14 January 2013}}</ref> The marshy [[Mugdrum Island]] is the only major island in the firth.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.scottish-places.info/features/featurehistory1607.html |title=Historical perspective for Mugdrum Island |publisher=[[Gazetteer for Scotland]] |access-date=26 February 2012}}</ref>

The [[Firth of Tay (Antarctica)|Firth of Tay]] in [[Antarctica]] was discovered in 1892–1893 by Captain [[Thomas Robertson (sailor)|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.<ref name=gnis>{{cite gnis |type=antarid |id=15017 |name=Tay, Firth of |access-date=23 March 2012}}</ref>

== Natural heritage ==
The Firth of Tay and the [[Eden Estuary]] (which lies {{cvt|8|mi}} to the south of the firth) were designated as [[Special Protection Area]]s on 2 February 2000, as [[Ramsar site|Ramsar wetlands]] a few months later (on 28 July 2000), and as [[Special Area of Conservation|Special Areas of Conservation]] five years later (on 17 March 2005). Several parts of the firth are within a [[site of special scientific interest]] – [[Inner Tay Estuary]], [[Monifieth Bay]], [[Tayport-Tentsmuir Coast]]. The [[Invergowrie Bay]] section of the firth is a [[local nature reserve]].

The Firth of Tay is noted for its extensive sand and [[mudflat]]s, its population of [[harbor seal|common seals]], and its wintering birds (such as [[eurasian oystercatcher|oystercatcher]], [[bar-tailed godwit]], [[shelduck]] and [[velvet scoter]]). There is good access to much of the shoreline, and the firth offers many good wildlife-watching opportunities.

The [[reed bed]] on the north shore of the inner estuary in the firth is about 15&nbsp;km long; it is thought to be the most extensive reedbed in Britain.

== Towns and villages along the coast ==
* [[Balmerino (village)|Balmerino]]
* [[Broughty Ferry]]
* [[Dundee]]
* [[Invergowrie]]
* [[Kingoodie]]
* [[Monifieth]]
* [[Newburgh, Fife|Newburgh]]
* [[Newport-on-Tay]]
* [[Tayport]]
* [[Woodhaven, Fife|Woodhaven]]
* [[Wormit]]

== Places of interest ==
* [[Balmerino Abbey]]
* [[Broughty Castle|Broughty Castle Museum]]
* [[Mugdrum Island]]
* [[Tay Rail Bridge]]
* [[Tay Road Bridge]]
* [[Tentsmuir Forest]]
* [[Tentsmuir National Nature Reserve]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{River Tay}}
{{authority control}}

[[Category:Firths of Scotland|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, Scotland]]