Kip Water, also known as the River Kip, is a short river in Inverclyde, Scotland which gives the village of Inverkip its name (Inverkip = mouth of the River Kip). It originates at Cornalees in the hills between Inverkip and Greenock and runs through Shielhill Glen, Dunrod Glen and the Kip Valley before entering the Firth of Clyde at Kip Marina in Inverkip. History John Ainslie's 1800 map of the County of Renfrew shows the upper reaches of the River named "Shaws Burn" and the lower reaches at Ardgowan Policies named "Ardgowan Water". This was before the construction of Shaws Water Scheme, which opened in 1827 and modified the source of the river. John Thomson's 1832 map also shows the upper reaches named "Shaws Burn", with the lower reaches named "Ardgowan or Kipp Water" (note the double 'p'). It is not clear when the name "Kip Water" was formally adopted for the entire length of the river. Present Course The present source of the river is Compensation Reservoir at Cornalees Bridge from where it drops steeply down Shielhill Glen to Millhouse, where it passes under the so-called 'Roman Bridge'. At this point the river enters Dunrod Glen where it runs around three sides of Idzholm Hill, here it is joined by the Spango Burn before entering the Kip Valley. The final stretch of the river from Bankfoot Farm to the Clyde is fairly flat and has been altered over the years by the addition of several small weirs. Past Industry The Aislie and Thomson maps referenced above show mills, including a waulkmill, at what is now Ardgowan Policies. Little or no trace of these mills survives today. It is also likely that there was a mill further upstream at Millhouse, based on the name of the house. Three sandstone quarries were active at the top of Shielhill Glen in the late 19thC. These were served by a railway line which left the main line at Dunrod Farm. The line of the railway can still be clearly seen along most of the route. Present Industry Other than the workshops at Kip Marina, there is no industry on the river at the time of writing in May 2018. Future Industry Plans have been approved for the construction of a distillery at Bankfoot Farm by Ardgowan Distillery. The planned distillery will take water from the river for process and cooling purposes. It will