The Victoria Falls – A Short Walk Above Loch Maree
On the south-west shore of Loch Maree, between Kinlochewe and Gairloch, a burn, or stream, off Beinn Eighe drops through a wooded gorge on its way to the loch.
Queen Victoria came to see the falls in 1877 and they have carried her name ever since. Two short waymarked paths lead to them from a free car park, and Slattadale's picnic place on the shore is just along the road.
- Time
- About a quarter of an hour to the viewing platform, 300 metres; about half an hour by Forestry and Land Scotland's Victoria Falls Trail, 0.7 km. Short forest walks.
- The path
- The 300 metre path to the viewing platform is wide, gentle and smooth, with no steps; the Victoria Falls Trail has long slopes and some stone steps.
- Where to start
- Victoria Falls car park, signed off the A832 about ten miles from Kinlochewe: free. IV22 2HW is the nearest postcode. Slattadale car park, about half a mile further on, charges £2 for up to an hour, £3 for up to three hours and £4 all day, Blue Badge holders free, by card or RingGo.
- When to go
- All year in daylight, and best after rain. The toilets at Slattadale close for the winter after 31 October.
- Dogs
- Keep dogs close near the gorge.
- Children
- A short, easy path to the platform; hold on to children near the water.
- Toilets
- At Slattadale car park, about half a mile on, from 1 April to 31 October; none at the falls.
- Before you set out
- Slattadale's public toilets are open from 1 April to 31 October. Open water at both car parks: watch children closely.
The walk
The Victoria Falls car park is signed off the A832 on the south-west shore of Loch Maree, about ten miles from Kinlochewe on the way to Gairloch. It's free, and IV22 2HW is the nearest postcode. Forestry and Land Scotland has two short paths here. The first is 300 metres to a viewing platform, wide, smooth and gentle with no steps, and takes about a quarter of an hour. The second, the Victoria Falls Trail, is a round of 0.7 km that climbs on beside the burn, on firm paths with long slopes and some stone steps.
Allow half an hour. The falls come down a wooded gorge in a run of white drops, with water off Beinn Eighe, and they're at their best after rain. They're named after Queen Victoria, who came here in 1877. From the car park you look out over Loch Maree. About half a mile further on towards Gairloch is Slattadale, where you can picnic under the trees on the shore and look across the water to the mountains of Letterewe.
Parking there costs £2 for up to an hour, £3 for up to three hours or £4 for the day, by card or RingGo. Its public toilets are open from 1 April to 31 October and closed for the winter. Slattadale is also one end of the Tollie Path, a rough hill path of 8 km to Poolewe that takes two and a half to three hours one way. The nearest places to eat are in Kinlochewe and Gairloch. Hold on to children near the water.
If it rains
The falls are at their best after rain and the path to the platform is short and smooth, so this is one for a wet day in waterproofs. The stone steps higher up are slippery when wet.
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 Net Store in Ardheslaig, 12 miles away. Sleeps 4.
Then Rhuroin, 12 miles away. Sleeps 3.
For further reading, before you go.
Photograph by Amy-Jo Battersby via Google