The river rises in the Mamores mountain range approximately halfway between Ben Nevis and Loch Treig,[1] 370m above sea level.

[5] During the Battle of Inverlochy (1645) many of Argyll's men were drowned as they tried to cross the river while fleeing from the Royalist forces.

[6] The river and Loch Linnhe were important natural defences considered in the construction of Fort William in the late 17th century.

[10] Several guidebooks document walking trails along the river, including the northern end of the West Highland Way.

[11] For canoeists the upper reaches of the river at Scimitar Gorge, when swollen by heavy rainfall, are designated a Grade 5 stretch, demanding a very high level of concentration and skill and described by the Scottish Canoe Association as a "maelstrom of water".