Glenbranter – Up a Wooded Gorge to the Allt Robuic Falls
About 2.2 miles on foot.
Glenbranter is a forest hamlet near the north end of Loch Eck, in the middle of Cowal, and behind it the Allt Robuic comes down a deep, ferny gorge in a string of waterfalls.
A path with steps and footbridges climbs beside the water through old oakwood, and the falls are at their loudest after rain. The glen once belonged to the music hall star Sir Harry Lauder.
- Time
- About an hour and a half: a waymarked trail of 3.6 km (2.2 miles), graded strenuous, walked out and back to the last bridge by the largest waterfall while the circuit is broken.
- The path
- Uneven gravel paths with tree roots, narrow and muddy stretches, steep slopes with flights of uneven steps, and several bridges. The Broadleaves Trail, 1.5 km, is firm but uneven gravel with some steep slopes.
- Where to start
- Glenbranter car park, signposted from the A815 between Strachur and the north end of Loch Eck, PA27 8DJ. Free.
- When to go
- All year in daylight. The falls are at their best a day or two after heavy rain. For now the trail is walked out and back, not as a circuit.
- Dogs
- Under close control.
- Children
- A gorge with steep drops beside the path and many steps: hold small children's hands. The hide is a good place to sit and watch for red squirrels.
- Toilets
- At the car park, with an accessible toilet.
- Before you set out
- The Waterfall Trail cannot be walked as a circuit while a forest road is waiting to be repaired: go as far as the last bridge and come back the same way. The Glen Eck Trail and the Glenshellish Loop are closed after storm damage.
The walk
Glenbranter car park is signposted from the A815 between Strachur and the north end of Loch Eck. PA27 8DJ is the nearest postcode. Parking is free, and there are toilets at the car park, with an accessible one. Forestry and Land Scotland gives the Waterfall Trail as 3.6 km, or two and a quarter miles, and allows an hour and a half. The trail climbs the gorge of the Allt Robuic, where the burn drops over one waterfall after another between banks of old oak. Mosses, ferns and liverworts grow thick in the damp air, and after heavy rain the falls roar. Steps and footbridges carry the path up beside the water.
For now the trail can't be walked as a full circuit, because a forest road above the gorge is waiting to be repaired. Walk up as far as the last bridge, by the largest waterfall, and come back the same way. The trail is marked in yellow. It's graded strenuous: uneven gravel paths with tree roots, narrow and muddy stretches, and steep slopes with flights of uneven steps. Keep hold of small children near the drops. The trail also passes a wildlife hide. Sit quietly for a few minutes and you may see red squirrels, roe deer, woodpeckers or crossbills.
Glenbranter was the estate of Sir Harry Lauder, the music hall star, who sold it to the Forestry Commission in 1921. He raised a monument here to his son, who was killed in the First World War. For an easier walk, the Broadleaves Trail is 1.5 km and about three quarters of an hour, through oak, birch and hazel and along an avenue of cypress and beech planted for the old estate house. The Glen Eck Trail and the Glenshellish Loop, which also start here, are closed after storm damage. Keep dogs under close control.
If it rains
The falls are at their best in wet weather and the oaks give some shelter, but the steps and roots are slippery. With boots and a waterproof it's a good walk for a damp day; in a downpour, take the easier Broadleaves Trail.
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 Red Squirrel Cottage, 5 miles away. Sleeps 6.
Then Seal Cabin, 5 miles away. Sleeps 2.
For further reading, before you go.