Plodda Falls

Plodda Falls is the highest and most spectacular waterfall in the Glen Affric area, plunging vertically for around forty metres into a twisting, fern-draped gorge — a dramatic finale to a pleasant walk through a magnificent forest of towering Douglas fir, some of the tallest trees in Scotland.

The route starts from the Plodda Falls car park, reached via a narrow forest track five miles beyond the tiny village of Tomich — quite an adventure in itself, so drive slowly and use the passing places. From the car park, green and white markers lead down the main track signed for the "Tweedmouth Trail" and "Plodda Falls Trail," passing magnificent Douglas firs — timber from this very wood was once used for the masts of Captain Scott's ship Discovery, now berthed in Dundee. After around half a kilometre, a marked path leads off to a junction; turning right downhill leads to the base of the falls, viewed from a platform where the water is so close and powerful that anyone standing here in spate conditions can expect to be sodden with spray.

Returning to the junction, a sharp turn onto steps leads up to the top of the falls, where a cantilevered viewing platform has been built out over the very lip of the cascade — a dramatic replacement for the original 1880 bridge built by Lord Tweedmouth as a showpiece for his guests, which became unsafe over time. The platform offers a vertigo-inducing view straight down into the gorge below.

This is a well-maintained, waymarked circuit suitable for most visitors, with firm gravel paths throughout, though some sections can be narrow, grassy, or muddy, and the platforms and viewpoints demand a good head for heights and careful supervision of children.

Parking at Plodda Falls is free; there is no public transport to the start, though buses run from Inverness to Tomich and Cannich.