Clashnessie Falls – A Waterfall Behind a Sandy Bay
About 1.4 miles on foot.
Clashnessie is a scatter of crofts round a sandy bay on the wild road north of Lochinver, and tucked in behind it is a waterfall of about 15 metres that most people drive straight past.
A short walk up the burn, or stream, takes you to its foot. Go a day or two after rain, when the fall is at its loudest, and wear boots.
- Time
- About 45 minutes: 2.25 km (1.4 miles) there and back, with 45 metres of climbing. A short walk on wet ground.
- The path
- A short stretch of road, then a wet, rough path beside the burn.
- Where to start
- The car park beside Clashnessie beach on the B869. No charge.
- When to go
- All year in daylight, and best a day or two after rain. From November to January arrive by 2pm.
- Dogs
- On a lead: sheep graze the croft land.
- Children
- A short walk. Steep banks and slippery rocks at the fall: keep children close.
- Toilets
- None at Clashnessie: the nearest are in Lochinver.
- Before you set out
- Wet by the burn; the rocks at the foot of the fall are slippery.
The walk
Park in the car park beside Clashnessie beach on the B869, where there's no charge. There are no toilets here. Walkhighlands gives the walk to the falls and back as 2.25 km and about 45 minutes, with 45 metres of climbing. It's a short stretch of quiet road and then a path beside the burn, up to a white curtain of water about 15 metres high in a cleft of dark rock.
The name Clashnessie comes from the Gaelic for the channel of the waterfall. The ground by the burn is wet, and wetter still after the rain that shows the fall at its best, so wear boots. The rocks at the foot of the fall are slippery and the banks are steep, so keep children close there. This is crofting land with sheep on it, so dogs stay on a lead.
Back at the car, the beach is a good place for a flask, with pale sand right beside the road. The B869 is a narrow single-track road with passing places, so allow more time for the drive than the map suggests. In Lochinver, the Lochinver Larder is open from Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 4pm, for pies and lunch. From November to January, be here by 2pm.
If it rains
Rain is what makes this waterfall, and the walk is short enough to do in waterproofs. The path will be wet, so wear boots and take care on the rocks.
Before you go
Book accommodation nearby
If you are staying over: here are ours nearest where the day starts and ends.
For further reading, before you go.