Four times taller than Niagara Falls but only accessible by foot (or boat)? Meet Britain’s biggest waterfall

Four times taller than Niagara Falls but only accessible by foot (or boat)? Meet Britain’s biggest waterfall

The Scottish Highlands are home to the three tallest waterfalls in the UK – but you’ll need your hiking boots to reach them

Eas a' Chual Aluinn, Assynt (credit: Getty Images)

Freya Parr

From thundering torrents in deep gorges to delicate veils tumbling down Highland cliffs, Britain’s waterfalls come in all shapes and sizes.

Some, like the easily reached Aira Force in the Lake District or Pistyll Rhaeadr in Wales, are popular stops for families and casual walkers. Others hide in remote glens and rugged uplands, rewarding those who make the trek with wild, unspoilt drama.

Together they showcase the variety of Britain’s landscapes – and among them are a handful that rank among the tallest in Europe.

What’s the biggest waterfall in the UK?

The highest waterfall in the UK is Eas a’ Chual Aluinn in the North-West Highlands of Scotland. With a sheer drop of 200 metres, it is nearly four times taller than the world-famous Niagara Falls.

The waterfall takes its name from a bastardisation of the Scottish Gaelic Eas a’ Chùil Àlainn, which translates as “waterfall of the beautiful tresses”.  

A view of a waterfall against green hills on a grey day
With a drop of 200 metres, Eas a' Chual Aluinn is the highest single drop waterfall in the UK. It is three times as high as Niagra Falls. It is located a mile from the head of Loch Beag, an inlet of Loch Glencoul, near Kylesku, Assynt, North West Scotland. The view from below the falls seen here is very difficult to access. It can be reached only by a long kayak trip followed by a trek across difficult terrain with no path (credit: Getty Images)

The Scottish Highlands completes the podium in the championships for the UK’s highest waterfalls with Steall waterfall in Glen Nevis (near Fort William) coming in second place with 120m and the Falls of Glomach in Ross-shire taking bronze with 113m. Both are only accessible by hiking. The Falls of Glomach are particularly isolated, involving a 12-mile hike.

Steall Waterfall and hiker on path at head of Glen Nevis in autumn, near Fort William.
Steall Waterfall is accessible via a relatively short hike (credit: Getty Images)

Where is Eas a’ Chual Aluinn?

Eas a’ Chual Aluinn is in Assynt, a sparsely populated area in Sutherland, north of Ullapool on the west coast of Scotland. The area is known for its stunning landscapes and remarkable mountains, with the legendary Cape Wrath Trail passing near Eas a’ Chual Aluinn, with hikers and runners of the trail able to see views of the waterfall from the trail.

How to get to Eas a’ Chual Aluinn

One of the reasons Eas a’ Chual Aluinn is such a stunning spot is that it’s quieter than other waterfalls, which can be accessed from the roads. While Eas a’ Chual Aluinn is on the North Coast 500 route, it requires a hike to reach it – or a boat tour from Kylesku, which costs £25 for adults and £10 for children and takes about 75 minutes in total.

The hike is a 10k out-and-back from the A894 road between Kylesku and Lochinver. The path is rough and rocky, with boggy sections at the start. It will take walkers between four and six hours to complete, depending on conditions and ability. While it is a fairly challenging route, walkers will be rewarded with beautiful views of lochs along the way.  

What's the tallest waterfall in the world?

The tallest waterfall in the world is Angel Falls in Venezuela which is 979 metres tall

Freya Parr

Deputy Editor of the National Trust Magazine and freelance journalist

Freya Parr is the Deputy Editor of the National Trust Magazine and a freelance journalist working across multiple titles including BBC Countryfile and BBC Wildlife. She is the former Digital Editor & Staff Writer at BBC Music Magazine, where she has stayed on as a regular critic. She is a keen trail runner, surfer and outdoor swimmer, enjoying scrambling up mountains and reviewing kit for titles such as Trail Magazine.
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