Home > Uniquely Unspoilt Magazine > Issue 10 > waterfalls

~~Scottish waterfalls~~

The first few months of the year are an excellent time of year to visit Scotland's waterfalls, with the wetter climate really helping them to be seen at their dramatic best.

Some are harder to reach than others, from remote falls taking several hours to reach to those only a ten minute stroll from civilisation. However, they all form part of some of Scotland's most spectacular scenery, and even better, are free to visit. Just don't forget your waterproofs.

The Falls of Bruar near Blair Atholl are only a short walk from the House of Bruar shop and restaurant complex, but offer a surprisingly quiet view of both the upper and lower falls. On hot days people have been known to go swimming in the large deep pool by the bridge. Not for the faint-hearted!

One of the most renowned falls in Northern Europe, the dramatic and scenic Falls of Clyde in New Lanark are set in a 59 acre nature reserve, and have influenced many an artist and poet, including Wordsworth, who described the Corra Linn falls, the largest of the four waterfalls, as "the Clyde's most majestic daughter" after a visit in 1802.

The Grey Mare's Tail falls between Moffat and Selkirk in the Borders are said to be so called because of their resemblance to the tail of a grey mare, and with a 90m drop over a series of falls, they are one of the most breathtaking waterfalls in Scotland. The surrounding area is owned by the National Trust for Scotland, and you can sometimes see wild flowers and mountain goats. The falls also inspired Sir Walter Scott, who wrote of a scene 'white as the snowy charger's tail'.

The Falls of Rogie on the Blackwater River near Strathpeffer are only a 250m walk from the car park, and are crossed by a larch-decked suspension bridge which gives access to the surrounding woodland. This area offers plenty of trails, and a colour coding system means you can pick the length and difficulty of your walk in advance.  If you're lucky you may also spot pine martens, wildcats, red squirrels and leaping salmon.

Plodda Falls near Tomich in Drumnadrochit also offers the chance to see wildlife, with butterflies and red deer seen in the area in the spring, although winter shows it off at its icy best. The falls are set among stunning Douglas Fir and European larch trees and there's a Victorian bridge, which sits in the brink of the 150m fall into the river below. Viewing platforms above and below the falls offer two different but equally impressive views of the falls, where two rivers meet.

If you don't mind getting drenched, you won't mind a visit to Foyers at Loch Ness.  The falls plummet 150m down to Loch Ness, often hurling showers into the trees. An equally spectacular experience is Steall Falls, at Glen Nevis near Fort William, where you need to cross a precarious 3 wire bridge to reach the incredible views - a real test of nerves, but well worth it.

A test of sheer dedication, however, is the pilgrimage to the 113m Falls of Glomach near Shiel Bridge, Kyle of Lochalsh. One of Britain's highest falls, the journey takes between 5 and 7 hours through remote and wild countryside. Glomach means gloomy, and at some points the journey definitely is, although in the summer there are guided ranger walks. You can hear and even feel the vibrations of the falls (which are said to be twice as high as Niagara) before you see them.

Cottages relevant to this article

The following holiday cottages are situated within easy reach of the locations mentioned above: