A Stirlingshire Waterfall Tour

Bracklinn Falls, Callander, a well-known waterfall easily reached from Stirling

Bracklinn Falls, Callander, a well-known waterfall which now has a new footbridge over it (not pictured)

There is something captivating about waterfalls, especially when in full spate after hard rains. Dramatic and romantic, there are some stunning waterfalls to be seen in Stirlingshire. As the weather breaks up at the end of summer, waterfalls, in contrast, are reaching their spectacular best. By autumn, you’ll be able to watch salmon leap too, as they make their way upstream to spawn. Here are some of the closest falls to Stirling, and worth a visit whatever the weather.

Bracklinn Falls, Callander: (15 miles from Stirling). Located in the woods just above the beautiful town of Callander (worth a visit in its own right), Bracklinn Falls is a spectacular stepped waterfall best viewed from the vantage point just above the cascade. Queen Victoria is said to have visited here, and it’s not hard to see why. For the easiest walk, park your car in the Falls car park about halfway up Bracklinn Road, then follow the footpath up to the falls and the new bridge. For details on this short walk, and a longer, four-mile loop, see here: http://www.incallander.co.uk/bracklinnfalls/bracklinnfalls.htm

The Falls of Leny, a Stirlingshire waterfall

The Falls of Leny, Kilmahog

Falls of Leny, Kilmahog: (17 Miles from Stirling). If you are visiting Callander to see the Bracklinn Falls, be sure to take in the Falls of Leny too, near the village of Kilmahog, just north-west of Callander in the Trossachs National Park. This is a great falls to see if any of your party have mobility problems – there is a car park at the falls, and cyclists can even get right up to the falls too. This is a narrow-gorged waterfall, so is particularly dramatic after heavy rain. For its location see: http://www.visitscotland.com/info/towns-villages/falls-of-leny-p662861#location. The more adventurous can walk there from Callander itself, a distance of around five miles: http://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/outdoors/walk-of-the-week-callander-to-falls-of-leny-1-3182009

Loup of Fintry, near Fintry: (17 miles from Stirling). Close to Stirling, the Loup of Fintry waterfall is on the River Endrick and lies just two miles from Fintry village. At 94ft high, this spectacular waterfall is best seen after rain or snow, as the Endrick River also feeds the Carron Reservoir. You can find the waterfall signposted two miles East of Fintry on the B818 Denny Road. For location see: http://www.visitscotland.com/info/towns-villages/loup-of-fintry-p669471#location

The Endrick Water, on which can be found the Loup of Fintry and Pots of Gartness waterfalls

The Endrick Water, on which can be found the Loup of Fintry and Pots of Gartness waterfalls

Pots of Gartness, Killearn: (22 miles from Stirling). To the west of Killearn you will find Pots of Gartness, a series of stepped rocky waterfall pools whose natural ladder makes for spectacular salmon-watching in October and November. On the Endrick water like the Loup of Fintry, these falls once powered a mill, still visible in ruins alongside the former mill-worker dwellings. To reach the Falls by car, take the A81 Glasgow-Aberfoyle road, signposted for The Wishing Well. There is roadside parking just before the bridge. For location, see: http://www.visitscotland.com/info/towns-villages/pots-of-gartness-p669461#location

These are just a handful of the many stunning waterfalls to see in Scotland, handpicked because they are closest to Stirling. For information on falls further afield, this comprehensive list is well worth checking out, especially if you plan to watch the salmon leaping in autumn. http://www.visitscotland.com/about/nature-geography/waterfalls/loch-lomond-trossachs-forth-valley/

For tips on salmon-watching: http://www.bbc.co.uk/naturescalendar/autumn/freshwater/activities/

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