Glas Bheinn and Eas a' Chual Aluinn, Scotland's highest waterfall Walking

While it's not a particularly big hill - especially given the high start from the road - Glas Bheinn rises on the edge of some inspiringly wild country, a knobbly chaos of rock and lochans tumbling northwards towards the deep trench of Glen Coul. Here you'll find Eas a' Chual Aluinn, Britain's highest waterfall. An impressive destination in its own right (use the route description below, then just reverse it), the falls are possibly best combined with a longer circuit of the hill. This is not a big day in terms of distance, but rough going all the way, and with an isolated edge that makes it more of a challenge than it might look on paper.

Eas a' Chual Aluinn, Britain's highest waterfall - you can't see the full drop from above  © Dan Bailey - UKHillwalking.com
Eas a' Chual Aluinn, Britain's highest waterfall - you can't see the full drop from above
Fetching Map

Detailed description

1
NC2397229215 While there's a higher start point to the south, it's worth parking northwest of Loch na Gainmhich to see the Wailing Widow falls. Hop over bogs to the outflow of the loch to (carefully) check out the impressive gorge and waterfall from above. Cross the burn via stepping stones at the loch and look for a cairned path heading roughly southwest. The trail braids into several strands, all muddy, before climbing more steeply and stonily towards the gnarled landscape of the Bealach a' Bhuirich.
Quinag from the Bealach a' Bhuirich  © Dan Bailey - UKHillwalking.com
Quinag from the Bealach a' Bhuirich
© Dan Bailey - UKHillwalking.com

2
NC2598228199 Follow the north shore of the beautifully austere Loch Bealach a' Bhuirich, and climb to a rocky high point. Still clear underfoot, and marked with occasional cairns, the path now descends through a chaos of outcrops and knolls into the lonely basin of the Poll Amhluaidh.

3
NC2732727758 On reaching the burn the mapped path stays on the north bank, but for a better view of Eas a' Chual Aluinn hop the stream to join a muddy and intermittent trail running parallel some way above the south bank. It's quite rough going down to a point where the lip of the waterfall can be seen. Here bear right, descending quite steeply to a terrace at a lower level, with an open view across to the upper half of the falls. The best viewpoint is slightly hazardous, so take care with dogs or kids: the lower falls cannot safely be seen from this close.
Phone pano: Eas a' Chual Aluinn, Stack of Glencoul, and my shadow (intentional, honest)  © Dan Bailey - UKHillwalking.com
Phone pano: Eas a' Chual Aluinn, Stack of Glencoul, and my shadow (intentional, honest)
© Dan Bailey - UKHillwalking.com, Apr 2023

4
NC2809327645 You could return to point 3, but it's quicker to cut a corner by heading directly uphill on rough ground, heading more or less south, to reach a clear path running along a rocky shelf. Turn left onto this and follow it up zigzags to a distinctive double lochan. At a junction go right.

5
NC2793727046 You're now on one of the routes of the Cape Wrath Trail, so despite the remoteness the path feels quite well-trodden. Winding uphill, broadly southwest, climb to a grassy shelf and an idyllic lochan, then zigzag more steeply to the stony Bealach na h-Uidhe. Follow the ridge west up angular quartzite scree to reach the broad, grassy summit plateau. It's a delightfully easy stroll to the cairn and wind break shelter marking Glas Bheinn's high point.
Beinn Leoid from Glas Bheinn - the wild and wrinkly ground in between is a fantastic place to wander about  © Dan Bailey - UKHillwalking.com
Beinn Leoid from Glas Bheinn - the wild and wrinkly ground in between is a fantastic place to wander about
© Dan Bailey - UKHillwalking.com

6
NC2547426487 Cross the plateau to pick up the northwest ridge. Descend the ridge on a mix of grassy patches and rubble to a cairn on a shoulder at 520m. Bear slightly left from here to descend quite steeply, with traces of path, to the main trail at the foot of the hill. Turning north, return to the car park.

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Further Routes

by Dan Bailey UKH



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