About the Cree & Water of Minnoch The Cree rises high in the
South Ayrshire hills at Loch Moan and meanders down through
moorlands and forests before entering the sea near Newton
Stewart. The river was immortalised in Robert Burn's late
eighteenth century poem 'The Flowery Banks of Cree'. Its
catchment extends over 198 square miles, draining the Carrick
and Glentrool forests as well as those at Kirroughtree and
Cairnsmore of Fleet. The river's appearance changes dramatically
over its length, from the stately splendour of the Water of
Minnoch to the tidal pools of the lower Cree. The river is a
spate river with a reputation for rising rapidly and a good fall
of rain in the evening can mean that the water is in perfect
condition by the next morning. The Cree fishes best on a falling
water. Historically, the Cree supported an extensive net and
coble fishery in the estuary and good catches were made on an
annual basis. The fishery was most productive in the summer
months. Stake nets have also been in operation on