North Esk beat owners fear the damage done when tonnes of digestate poured into the Black Burn on the Angus/Aberdeenshire border will have a lasting impact on the ecology of the river. A clean-up is continuing days on from a pollution spill which killed young fish stocks in a tributary burn of one of Scotland’s best salmon rivers.

Environment agency Sepa say they are still to ascertain the full impact of the incident on the River North Esk at the border of Angus and Aberdeenshire. The spill has led to the death of many young fish. And local ghillies fear the effect on invertebrate populations will further impact already under-pressure fish stocks.

The incident happened at the Black Burn near Luthermuir on Friday. A tanker containing digestate is believed to have ruptured. The stretch runs into the Luther Water, which joins the North Esk at Northwaterbridge on the Angus/Aberdeenshire border. “This happened about ten in the morning, but it was about 6.30 in the evening when we found out anything about it,” said Mr Jacobsen.

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