Esk (Cymric wysg, Gael. uisge, 'water,' akin to Exe), the name of several small Scotch rivers. The Dumfriesshire Esk, formed by the Black and White Esks (12 and 14 miles long), runs 22 miles SSE., next 5 furlongs along the Border, and lastly 8 miles SSW. through Cumberland to the head of the Solway Firth. It passes Langholm and Longtown, receives the Tarras, Liddel, etc, and affords capital fishing. - The Edinburghshire Esk, formed by the North and South Esks (17 and 19 miles long), flows 4 miles northward to the Firth of Forth at Musselburgh. Its scenery is very pretty, the northern branch passing Habbie's Howe, Roslin, Hawthornden, and Melville Castle. - In Forfarshire the South Esk runs 49 miles SE. and B. to the North Sea at Montrose, and the North Esk 29 miles SE. to a point 4 miles N. of Montrose; both give earls' titles to branches of the Carnegie family - South-esk (1633) and Northesk (1662). - There is an Esk in S\V. Cumberland, and one in the Cleveland district of Yorkshire.