The Fairy Glen – Waterfalls, the Beach and Lunch with the Dog
About 3.5 miles on foot.
On the Black Isle, just above the village of Rosemarkie, the Fairy Glen is a steep little wooded glen with a burn, or stream, running down it and two waterfalls at its head.
It makes a lovely walk with a dog, under old trees on a path that crosses and recrosses the water, with a run on Rosemarkie's beach after it and lunch at Crofters on the seafront, where dogs are welcome.
- Time
- An hour to an hour and a half: about a mile and a quarter up the glen to the waterfalls and the same back.
- The path
- The path becomes steep, uneven and slippery and has several sets of steps; no stiles or gates.
- Where to start
- A small Highland Council car park beside the A832 at the edge of Rosemarkie, with 10 spaces; if it's full, park by the beach on Marine Terrace and walk up through the village.
- When to go
- The glen and the beach are open at all times, best in daylight; from 1 April to 15 August dogs are kept close, on a short lead, in the glen. Crofters opens every day from 10am to 9pm.
- Dogs
- Welcome under the Scottish Outdoor Access Code; from 1 April to 15 August keep dogs close, preferably on a short lead, for ground-nesting birds, and clean up after them.
- Children
- Steep, slippery sections and a burn beside the path: hold small hands.
- Toilets
- Public toilets in Rosemarkie, about 250m away, opposite the Plough Inn, with baby changing.
- Before you set out
- Come back down the glen path, not the road: the A832 beside the reserve is busy.
The walk
The Fairy Glen car park is beside the A832 just as it leaves the village for Cromarty, a small Highland Council car park with room for only 10 cars. If it's full, park by the beach on Marine Terrace and walk up through the village. The path starts from the car park and runs up the glen for about a mile and a quarter, the RSPB says.
It winds through old broadleaf woods, over little footbridges and past mossy rocks to two waterfalls, each falling into a dark pool. Watch for a heron on the burn and buzzards overhead. Come back the same way, as the RSPB asks: the A832 beside the glen is busy and has no pavement.
The path is steep, uneven and slippery in places, with steps, so wear good shoes, and it's no good for a pushchair. Dogs are welcome; from 1 April to 15 August, when birds nest on the ground, keep yours close and on a short lead. The nearest toilets are in the village, opposite the Plough Inn.
If it rains
The glen is under trees and its waterfalls are at their best after rain, but the path gets slippery and muddy: take it slowly, skip the beach in a downpour, and let lunch at Crofters run long in its heated marquee.
Afterwards
7 min on foot
Rosemarkie
An attraction
From the glen car park it's a 7-minute walk down through the village to the beach, where a long curve of sand runs south-west towards Chanonry Point. It's a fine place to let the dog run, and on a good day there may be dolphins out in the firth.
7 min on foot
Crofters Café, Rosemarkie
Lunch
Lunch is right there at Crofters on Marine Terrace, across the road from the sand. It's a café by day and a restaurant into the evening, open every day from 10am to 9pm, and the fish and chips are what most people order. A window seat looks out over the Moray Firth. Dogs are welcome at the tables outside and in the covered, heated marquee. Then it's 7 minutes' walk back up to the car.
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 Newhall Mains in Balblair, 6 miles away.
