Invermoriston – A Gorge, a Summerhouse and Telford's Bridge
In the middle of Invermoriston the River Moriston drops through a gorge of grey rock on its way down to Loch Ness.
A short woodland circuit follows it from the village car park, past the falls and the old bridge that Thomas Telford built, to a stone summerhouse on the cliff above the water. It takes about half an hour.
- Time
- About half an hour, a circuit. Easy, on woodland paths.
- The path
- Earth and gravel woodland paths with tree roots, slippery when wet. The old bridge is a level gravel track.
- Where to start
- Start from the village car park in the middle of Invermoriston, a few minutes from the falls.
- When to go
- All year in daylight. The river is at its fullest after rain.
- Dogs
- Under close control.
- Children
- A short walk with a waterfall and a summerhouse to find. Hold small hands near the river.
- Toilets
- Public toilets and a drinking-water tap at the village hall.
- Before you set out
- Keep to the paths: there are steep drops into the river.
The walk
The walk starts from the village car park in the middle of Invermoriston. It's a short woodland circuit beside the River Moriston, which drops through a gorge of grey rock on its way to Loch Ness. The falls pour white through a channel in the rock beneath Telford's old bridge. Its two rough stone arches were begun in 1805 and finished in 1813, and it carried the road until 1933.
You can walk out onto it and look straight down. Downstream the path goes into Falls Wood, under tall Scots pines with moss and ferns beneath them. A small stone summerhouse with a slate roof stands on the cliff edge, and its pointed window looks out over the falls. The way back is through the wood, and the circuit takes about half an hour.
There are steep drops to the river, so keep children and dogs close. From mid October to March the river runs high and loud, the path is slick with wet leaves and the light goes early under the trees.
If it rains
The trees give some shelter and the falls are at their best after rain, but the path is slippery when wet. In heavy rain, see the falls from the old bridge and leave the wood for another day.
Before you go
Book accommodation nearby
If you are staying over: here are ours nearest where the day starts and ends.
The nearest of ours is The Lovat Hotel in Fort Augustus, 5 miles away.
Where to eat
Glen Rowan Cafe, a café in Invermoriston.
For further reading, before you go.