Top Waterfalls Day Trips from Edinburgh
Written by UK Hidden Gems Editorial
Updated 5 August 2026
The top Waterfalls Day Trips from Edinburgh include Linn Jaw Waterfall, Glen Vale Waterfalls, Cauldron Linn, Dollar Glen Waterfall, Falls of Clyde, Corra Linn, Bonnington Linn and Stonebyres Falls.
Edinburgh may be a city of hills itself, but a short drive in almost any direction turns up a waterfall worth the trip. Head west into West Lothian and Linn Jaw hides in a sudden wooded gorge south of Livingston, the closest of the eight.
Cross the Forth to the north and the Lomond Hills of Fife hold the quiet cascade of Glen Vale, with its history of Covenanters at John Knox's Pulpit. Swing northwest into Clackmannanshire for Cauldron Linn on the rocky River Devon and the mossy ravine of Dollar Glen below Castle Campbell.
For the grandest of the lot, point the car southwest to the Clyde valley near New Lanark, where the Falls of Clyde string together Corra Linn, Bonnington Linn and, a little downstream, Stonebyres Falls. Some are gentle strolls and others ask for a proper walk, and many run fullest after rain, so a wet spell is your friend here.
Here are eight waterfalls for a day trip from Edinburgh.
Linn Jaw Waterfall
Photo: Jim Smillie via Geograph.org.uk
Linn Jaw Waterfall Out of gentle West Lothian farmland the ground suddenly gives way, and a short, steep wooded gorge opens up south of Livingston to hold this run of falls. Two main drops and a scatter of smaller cascades tumble through it, the higher of the two still drawing on what is left of an old mill lade.
From a minor road near Balgreen Farm, a walk of about two kilometres follows the water down to a wooden footbridge and then on across stepping stones to the falls. Mapmakers cannot agree on the stream's name, calling it Linhouse Water or Camilty Water, the two meeting hereabouts.
Glen Vale Waterfalls
Photo: James Allan via Geograph.org.uk
Glen Vale Waterfalls North of Edinburgh, across the Forth in the Lomond Hills of Fife, Glen Vale is a quiet valley whose burn drops over rock in a small waterfall near the head of the glen. Above the water stands John Knox's Pulpit, an eroded sandstone overhang forming a natural amphitheatre, once used by Covenanters for their outlawed open-air worship.
You walk the glen on a path through open hill country. It is a modest, out-of-the-way spot rather than a set of great falls, but the mix of history and quiet hill walking makes it a fine half-day escape.
Cauldron Linn
Photo: William Starkey via Geograph.org.uk
Cauldron Linn Northwest of Edinburgh, Cauldron Linn is a waterfall on the River Devon, about a mile below Rumbling Bridge and reached across fields near Powmill. The river drops in two steps through a narrow rocky canyon, having worn smooth round basins and potholes into the ledges over the years.
The way down to the water is steep and slippery over rough ground, so tread carefully. It carries most water after heavy rain and thins in dry weather, so aim for a visit after a wet spell to see the canyon at its liveliest.
Dollar Glen Waterfall
Photo: Ian Taylor via Geograph.org.uk
Dollar Glen Waterfall A little further northwest, Dollar Glen is a steep, wooded gorge below Castle Campbell near the town of Dollar in Clackmannanshire, cut by two burns with the evocative old names of the Burn of Sorrow and the Burn of Care. The burns drop over a series of waterfalls as they wind down through the ravine to meet below the castle.
Footpaths and wooden bridges thread through the damp, mossy woodland, climbing steeply in places. The National Trust for Scotland looks after the glen, which is free to walk, making it a rewarding day out from Edinburgh.
Falls of Clyde
Photo: Derek Harper via Geograph.org.uk
Falls of Clyde Beside the old mill village of New Lanark, the River Clyde crashes through a wooded gorge in a run of waterfalls looked after by the Scottish Wildlife Trust as a reserve. A path along the riverbank climbs from the village past Dundaff Linn, Corra Linn and Bonnington Linn, the biggest of them pouring over tall rock faces.
A hydro scheme draws off much of the flow upstream, so the river can look thin while power is being made, then surge when the water is let back through. Peregrine falcons raise their young in the gorge, and the reserve keeps watch over them through the nesting season.
Time a visit for high water and the falls truly roar.
Corra Linn
Photo: Derek Harper via Geograph.org.uk
Corra Linn The largest of the Falls of Clyde, Corra Linn is a set of waterfalls in a wooded gorge on the River Clyde near New Lanark. The river drops in tiers over a rock face of around twenty-six metres, framed by oak woodland run as a wildlife reserve.
A path from the old mill village leads to a viewpoint beside the ruined Bonnington Pavilion. Much of the water is drawn off for a hydro scheme, so the falls run fullest after heavy rain, which is the time to catch this one at its most impressive.
Bonnington Linn
Photo: Rude Health via Geograph.org.uk
Bonnington Linn The uppermost of the Falls of Clyde, above New Lanark in the Clyde valley, Bonnington Linn is where the river splits around a rocky island and drops in a broad horseshoe of white water, around nine metres, over ledges into the gorge below. For much of the year the falls run thin, because most of the river is drawn off just above them to feed a hydro-electric power station, and the full flow only returns on a handful of release days, when the falls come back to life.
A footpath from New Lanark follows the wooded gorge up past the bigger fall of Corra Linn to reach it, with viewpoints along the way.
Stonebyres Falls
Photo: Alan Pitkethley via Geograph.org.uk
Stonebyres Falls The lowest member of the Falls of Clyde, Stonebyres Falls drops the River Clyde in a series of steps into a wooded gorge near Lanark in South Lanarkshire. It puts on its finest show after heavy rain, and the usual place to watch is close to the road just below Kirkfieldbank.
A hydro-electric station raised in the 1920s sits alongside and siphons off part of the flow. Though it shares the river with the more celebrated Corra Linn up at New Lanark, this fall stands apart, a quieter relative on the same mighty water.
Catch it in spate and the steps disappear beneath the torrent.
FAQs
Which waterfall is closest to Edinburgh?
Linn Jaw is the nearest, around twenty-one kilometres west of Edinburgh in a wooded gorge south of Livingston, reached on a walk of about two kilometres from a minor road near Balgreen Farm.
Where are the Falls of Clyde?
The Falls of Clyde lie beside the old mill village of New Lanark, southwest of Edinburgh, where a riverside path passes Corra Linn and Bonnington Linn through a wooded gorge run as a wildlife reserve.
Do these falls flow year-round?
Many run best after rain. The Clyde falls near Lanark and Cauldron Linn on the River Devon are drawn down by hydro schemes or dry weather, so visit after a wet spell for the fullest flow near Edinburgh.
Conclusion
For a capital city, Edinburgh is remarkably well placed for a waterfall day out. Close to home, Linn Jaw tumbles through its hidden gorge in West Lothian, while a hop across the Forth reaches the quiet cascade of Glen Vale in the Lomond Hills.
Northwest lie the rocky steps of Cauldron Linn and the mossy ravine of Dollar Glen beneath Castle Campbell. Best of all, the Clyde valley near New Lanark gathers the grand Falls of Clyde, among them Corra Linn, Bonnington Linn and Stonebyres Falls, several of them at their most thunderous after heavy rain.
Whether you fancy an easy riverside stroll or a longer walk into the hills, and whether you chase them in spate or in calm, these are the waterfalls for a day trip from Edinburgh.
