Coming up: little falls, big falls, the highest waterfall in the UK, easy-to-access places, some world-class adventures, and everything you need to know about the best waterfalls you can actually hike to in Scotland (with details on how to hike or walk to them!)
🥾 Scotland is PACKED with outdoor fun.
(including hikes and bike rides and some of the world’s best road trips).
… but it also serves up lots more underrated and under-the-radar adventures… including some pretty hefty waterfalls (and many of them you can hike to)💧
So: in this guide, we’ve brought you the best of them… and for once, we can be grateful for the results of Scotland’s rain! Here’s everything you need to know about the best waterfalls you can actually visit in Scotland.
Loch na Gainmhich and the Wailing Widow Falls
Where it is: Assynt, northwest Scotland, relatively close to Ullapool
Why you’ll like it: because it’s VASTLY underrated (and it’s inspired local legends!)
Typical hike length (if you do the ‘standard’ hike): there is no standard hike!
We’ve already brought you a big beefy guide to Loch na Gainmhich and the Wailing Widow Falls here.
… but, in short: it’s an impressive 15-meter (50-feet) waterfall, running out from the mountain lake of Loch na Gainmhich. One of the nation’s most scenic falls, it drops into a small pool.
(and the place is—maybe—named after a deer hunter who fell into these falls and died) 👻
🥾 Though there’s not an ‘official’ hike here, it’s well-trodden enough that you can follow the already-existing trails that other hikers have carved out.
Head to the uppermost parking lot, and find the trail that takes you to where the loch becomes the waterfall.
On this hike, you get a world-class viewpoint of both the waterfall AND the lake.
Grey Mares Tail
Where it is: south of both Edinburgh and Glasgow
Why you’ll like it: because it’s MASSIVE
Typical hike length (if you do the ‘standard’ hike): 3 miles (5km)
One of the best waterfalls near Glasgow, this place sits inside Grey Mares Tail Nature Reserve.
It’s one of Scotland’s most famous falls, AND one of the longest waterfalls in the UK—it has an impressive height of 60 meters (196 feet).
Here’s the hike I’m recommending for this one: park up in the nearby parking lot, and do the mini walk to the falls. But then wander beyond the falls to Loch Skeen (backed by low-level hills, this place is VERY scenic). This whole walk is only 3 miles (5km), but it’s super beautiful.
Cramond Falls
Where it is: inside Edinburgh
Why you’ll like it: because it’s perfect for a picnic
Typical hike length (if you do the ‘standard’ hike): 6 miles (9.5km)
One of the best waterfalls near Edinburgh, Cramond Falls is tiny.
🏴 Measuring in at a height of around only around 1 meter (3 feet), it’s part of the super-pretty River Almond (which most Edinburgh tourists don’t visit).
🌳 A wooded area, it’s perfect for a gentle little picnic-based adventure.
… but it’s mainly on this list because it’s IDEAL for an Edinburgh walk:
Start at Leith’s Royal Yacht Britannia, follow the coast all the way through central Edinburgh and the super-beautiful bay of Silverknowes Beach.
Then head beyond central Edinburgh to its outskirts, where you’ll hit the River Almond. At this point, turn south, and you’ll find Cramond Falls.
A HIGHLY underrated way to see Scotland’s capital 🫶
Loup of Fintry
Where it is: between Glasgow and Stirling
Why you’ll like it: because you can swim in it!
Typical hike length (if you do the ‘standard’ hike): 10 miles (16km)
This swimmable (and beautiful!) waterfall is surrounded by a bunch of low-level hikes…
… but the walk around Cairnoch Hill is the best of them ⛰️
Another underrated adventure, follow this route. But at the southwestern corner of the route, take a detour west, and head to the Loup of Fintry.
… and when you get there, have a swim. Perfect! 🏊
Falls of Unich
Where it is: inside Cairngorms National Park
Why you’ll like it: because it drops into a plunge pool!
Typical hike length (if you do the ‘standard’ hike): 10 miles (16km)
One of the best waterfalls near Dundee, the Falls of Unich sit in the southeastern corner of the UK’s biggest national park (that’s Cairngorms National Park!).
Visible from far away, the falls tumble down some rocks, and form an alluring plunge pool.
… but most importantly (for you, since you’re reading this guide), the walk heading to the falls is BRILLIANT. It features big peaks, views of Loch Lee, lots of barren moorland, views from above and below, and one of the loneliest houses you’ve ever seen.
If you want to prioritize the hike taking you to the falls you visit, I reckon this is one of the best options on our list.
Eas A’ Chual Aluinn
Where it is: Assynt
Why you’ll like it: cos it’s the highest waterfall in the UK!
Typical hike length (if you do the ‘standard’ hike): 6 miles (10km)
Measuring in at a massive 200 meters/656 feet, Eas A’ Chual Aluinn isn’t just one of the highest waterfalls in the UK—it’s THE highest waterfall in the UK 😱
A rocky and remote walk (and one of the most beautiful walks on our list), this wander takes you through heathery moors, past some little lochs, and to an incredible view of the falls.
Falls of Glomach
Where it is: relatively close to Inverness
Why you’ll like it: because it’s ANOTHER incredible hike—and the iconic WalkHighlands reckon these are “perhaps the most magnificent waterfalls in Britain”
Typical hike length (if you do the ‘standard’ hike): 11 miles (17.5km)
There are LOADS of great waterfalls near Inverness.
… but you can ONLY reach the Falls of Glomach by tackling an 11-mile hike. So since you’re looking for hikes, you’ve found the right place 👍
Super remote, you’ll probably find NO-ONE else here.
The hike is very easy to follow… which is good news, cos it gives you plenty of time and space to enjoy all the views.
It serves up two bridges, pretty forest, and lots of moors—and best of all, the falls are hidden from view until you’re almost completely opposite them.
Highly recommended! 🎊
The Fairy Pools
Where it is: the Isle of Skye
Why you’ll like it: because it’s strange, surreal, and beautiful (and super-famous!)
Typical hike length (if you do the ‘standard’ hike): most people walk for 2.5 miles (4km)
🧚Maybe you’ve already heard of Skye’s iconic Fairy Pools.
… but in case you haven’t, they’re a strange and mega-famous alien-like landscape on the Isle of Skye, made up of loads of mini waterfalls and mini pools (and gently hiking between them is the best—and basically only!—way to see them).
To tackle the hike that most people do, park up at the standard Fairy Pools parking lot, then follow the easy-to-find trail that everyone else is on. It brings you to all the most famous pools. Then, if you want to walk further through and into the strange lumpy landscape (and escape the bulk of the crowds!), you can.
Although it’s a well-known wander, it’s also a very beautiful one! 💚
Other great accessible hikes on Skye include the Quiriang and the Old Man of Storr… but more adventurous options include Sgurr Na Stri and Elgol to Camasunary Bay.
For loads more adventures on the Isle of Skye, head over to our guides on:
- The 13 best beaches on the Isle of Skye
- The 10 most stunning cliffs on the Isle of Skye
- The 15 best walks and hikes on the Isle of Skye
- 18 exciting outdoor adventures on the Isle of Skye
The waterfall inside Smoo Cave
Where it is: close to Durness, in far-northwestern Scotland
Why you’ll like it: because it’s a waterfall… IN A CAVE!
Typical hike length (if you do the ‘standard’ hike): 4.5 miles (7km)
🪨 One of the most Instagrammable spots along the North Coast 500, Smoo Cave has a 25-meter (82-feet) waterfall INSIDE it.
You can access the main mouth of the cave on this easy walk—and, yep, that walk takes you to the waterfall. It also includes a little bit of easy and pleasant wandering over farmland and moorland… and it makes your Smoo Cave day even better (but, of course, if you’re not feeling energetic, you can just do the much-shorter cave section on the very-tiny walk from the Smoo Cave parking lot) ♥️
Another recommendation: okay, I know you’re not here for boat trips. But if you visit Smoo Cave without tackling a boat trip, you’re definitely doing the place wrong 😬 Book your boat trip here, float around inside the cave, learn all about the place and its geography, and enjoy one of northern Scotland’s best and most iconic adventures.
Steall Waterfall
Where it is: western Scotland, close to Fort William
Why you’ll like it: because it’s Scotland’s second-highest waterfall!
Typical hike length (if you do the ‘standard’ hike): 2 miles (3.5km)
Measuring in at a massive 120 meters/394 feet, Steall Waterfall is another of Scotland’s most famous falls—and was TWICE featured in the Harry Potter movies! 🧙
(and it’s another waterfall you can only reach by hiking there!).
Park at the mountainous Upper Glen Nevis parking lot, then wander past big mountains, and through woods, and over a famous rope bridge. Steall Waterfall sits in the super-special Glen Nevis valley, close to the well-known Ben Nevis (which is, as you probably know, the tallest mountain in Scotland!) ⛰️
Even the iconic WalkHighlands call this “one of the best short walks in Scotland”… so you know you’re getting something really special 😱
Falls of Dochart
Where it is: just northeast of Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park
Why you’ll like it: cos it’s easy and accessible
Typical hike length (if you do the ‘standard’ hike): just a few minutes
💧 If you want a gentle walk instead of a big hike, the Falls of Dochart are a good option.
They’re located right in the village center of little charming Killin (which itself sits at the very western side of the super-pretty Loch Tay).
The falls themselves aren’t hugely special—they’re more cute and cozy than dramatic. Really, they’re more like a fast-moving river shallowly slipping over some interesting rocks…
… but if you want somewhere highly accessible, with nearby cafes and restaurants and amenities, it’s still a nice adventure. Sometimes, the easiest adventures are the nicest adventures 🤷
If you take the simple stroll from the village to the falls, you’ll be walking for around five or ten minutes (depending on exactly where you start from).
… but if you want something slightly more adventurous (but still tame and gentle), I recommend this two-hour forest walk.
It starts and ends at the falls, and it’s very pretty (and considering it’s a low-level walk, it’s much more dramatic and scenic than you’d expect).
Falls of Falloch
Where it is: at the northern tip of Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park
Why you’ll like it: because it’s a nice easy spot for a swim
Typical hike length (if you do the ‘standard’ hike): only around 1 mile (1.6km)
Relatively close to the Falls of Dochart (so you can visit both on the same day!), the Falls of Falloch are also easy to access (they’re right at a roadside—and the walk from the road to the falls only takes 20 minutes).
… but the payoff is worthwhile, it’s part of the long and winding River Falloch, the drop is an impressive 10 meters (32 feet), and you can even swim in the pool at the bottom of the falls 🏊
One of Scotland’s most touristy falls, the place also has a popular and scenic observation deck… ideal for snapping some photos 📸
For much more on Loch Lomond (and its MANY varied adventures), head over to our guide on the 17 best walks in Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park.
Eas Fors
Where it is: the northern part of the west coast of the Isle of Mull
Why you’ll like it: cos it falls into the sea!
Typical hike length (if you do the ‘standard’ hike): only 5 minutes
Measuring in at three tiers (with the last tier dropping into the sea!), Eas Fors launches itself into the Atlantic, and it’s super dramatic and remote. From these falls, you really do get a bit of everything—gentle sections, steep sections, forest, rocks, and the sea.
The little parking lot sits just before the bridge beside the falls. From here, you can hit the short wander up the little track to the waterfall’s top tier… where there’s a safe viewing platform. Don’t try to lean over it, cos you might fall 😬 Yep, like a couple of other falls we’ve brought you, sorry: this one isn’t reeallllly at the end of a hike—but it’s DEFINITELY still worth a visit.
For much more on the Isle of Mull, here’s our popular face-off between the Isle of Skye and the Isle of Mull (and its conclusion might surprise you!).
Falls of Bruar
Where it is: just northwest of Pitlochry
Why you’ll like it: cos the hike is short but adventurous
Typical hike length (if you do the ‘standard’ hike): 1.5 miles (2.5km)
Short and simple, but tougher than most people expect, the Falls of Bruar hike runs parallel to the falls… taking you uphill through some pretty forest, and to two stone bridges (which are built into the rocks, and sort of look like a natural extension of the gorge!).
This gorge is steep, rocky, and sort of aggressive—and was carved out by the waterfall you’re visiting. The water’s clear, and the mountainous backdrop is super dramatic.
… and, interestingly, pine plantations were first built here after the mega-famous Scottish poet Robert Burns visited the place… then petitioned for it to be surrounded by trees! 🖊️
Tips on visiting waterfalls in Scotland (you don’t want to miss these!)
Best waterfalls in Scotland you can actually hike to: final thoughts
So, there they all are—they’re the 14 best Scottish waterfalls you can visit (by hiking to them!) 💧
To sum up, our top five favorite must-visits are:
- Grey Mares Tail: it’s one of the UK’s biggest falls, and one of Scotland’s most famous—and it’s relatively easy to access.
- Steall Waterfall: it’s Scotland’s second-highest waterfall… even the super-famous (and super-trusted) WalkHighlands calls this hike “one of the best short walks in Scotland.”
- Falls of Unich: you’re here for hikes. And this hike is world-class, with massive views from both above and below. And it includes an underrated loch!
- Eas A’ Chual Aluinn: this remote adventure feels like it’s in the middle of nowhere… and it takes you to the top of the highest waterfall in the UK!
- Falls of Glomach: because you can ONLY reach these falls by heading out on a super-pretty 11-mile (17km) hike.
🌳 For more outdoor adventures in Scotland, head over to our guides on:
- 16 must-see gems hidden away in the Scottish Highlands (these are all loved by locals!)
- The best long-distance walking trails in Scotland (beyond the West Highland Way)
- 20+ strange places in Scotland you didn’t even know about
Thanks for reading, thanks for choosing Travelness, and enjoy exploring Scotland!
