Scotland has long been considered one of the best places to catch the ‘king of fish’ - the Atlantic salmon.
The country has almost 400 different rivers that have populations of the migratory fish, attracting people from all over the world to cast a fly or lure and try their luck.
The Atlantic salmon is a remarkable creature that live in freshwater as juveniles, but migrate to sea as adults before returning up river to spawn.
They are able to find their way back to the particular stretch of their native river where they hatched with incredible accurancy – sometimes even returning to a specific rock.
Researchers have found salmon that have travelled as far as 2,400km during their migration.
As a general rule, the salmon fishing season in Scotland runs from early February until late October, with a few exceptions (the River Tay season runs from January 15 until October 15).
Peak times for catching salmon tend to be in April and May and then from September to October, with spring salmon, or ‘springers’, particularly highly-prized due to the bright silver colour, which means they’ve only recently returned from the sea.
While some of the best fishing beats command hefty prices, there are bargains to be had from fishing clubs and associations that offer angling opportunities for locals and visitors alike.
Here are 10 of the best salmon fishing rivers in Scotland.
9. River Brora
The River Brora flows through Sutherland, in the Scottish Highlands of Scotland, forming at Dalnessie, then travelling down Strath Brora to Dalreavoch, through Loch Brora to enter the Moray Firth at Brora. The Brora is a particularly good spring spring salmon river, from February to May. Both the river and loch also provide great sea trout fishing in July. It's difficult for visitors to get fishing on the Brora, but day lets can be found on the estuary and on the loch. Photo: Canva/Getty Images
10. River Naver
Not all of the best Scottish salmon rivers are large. The relatively diminutive River Naver (or more accurately, Strath Naver - the section of the river that flows from Loch Naver to the north coast of Scotland) is only 18 miles long but has a historic reputation for being an angling haven. The Altnaharra Hotel, to the west of the loch has been used by salmons fishers since the early 19th century at the western end of the loch has been used by anglers since the early 19th century. It's a fairly exclusive river but the lower beat is reserved for the local angling club and limited daily permits are available to visitors. Photo: Canva/Getty Images