Top Waterfalls Day Trips from Fort William
Written by UK Hidden Gems Editorial
Updated 5 August 2026
The top Waterfalls Day Trips from Fort William include Steall Waterfall, Coe River Waterfall, Kilfinnan Falls, Falls of Roy, White Falls, Easan Dubha, Eas a’ Chaorainn and Eas Urchaidh.
Fort William calls itself the outdoor capital of the UK, and its position at the foot of Ben Nevis puts a wide spread of waterfalls within a day's reach. Right on the doorstep, Glen Nevis holds the soaring Steall Waterfall, while a run south into Glen Coe reveals the roadside Coe River Waterfall beneath the Three Sisters.
Head north up the Great Glen and you can seek out Kilfinnan Falls above Loch Lochy, the Falls of Roy in its ice-marked glen near Roybridge, and the trackless White Falls high in the Monadhliath. Turn south instead, towards Glen Orchy, and two fine falls on the River Orchy await in Easan Dubha and Eas Urchaidh.
For something wilder still, the boat to Knoydart brings you to Eas a' Chaorainn on the way up Beinn na Caillich. Some are easy roadside stops, others long walks into remote country, but each shows off the drama of Lochaber and its neighbours.
Here are eight waterfalls for a day trip from Fort William.
Steall Waterfall
Photo: Tom Courtney via Geograph.org.uk
Walk to Steall Waterfall Just up the road in Glen Nevis, Steall Waterfall, or An Steall Ban, the white spout, is among the tallest in Scotland at around a hundred and twenty metres. The water pours down a cliff into a green meadow ringed by mountains, a genuinely dramatic sight.
You reach it on a walk of about a mile from the upper Glen Nevis car park, threading through a rocky gorge with the river tumbling below. To cross to the very foot of the falls there is a three-wire bridge, a single cable for your feet and two for your hands, a wobbly affair that many are happy to admire from the bank instead.
Coe River Waterfall
Photo: Peter Bond via Geograph.org.uk
See the Coe River Waterfall A short drive south brings you into Glen Coe, where this waterfall drops right beside the road below the ridge of the Three Sisters. The water spills off the steep mountainside in a white cascade before running down to join the River Coe on the floor of the glen.
It is among the most photographed sights on the whole A82 drive through Glen Coe, and you barely have to leave the car, since it is easily seen from a pull-in beside the road. Steep, bare mountain walls rise on every side, giving it a grand setting for such an accessible stop, well worth pausing for on the way through.
Kilfinnan Falls
Photo: Jonathan Billinger via Geograph.org.uk
Discover Kilfinnan Falls North up the Great Glen, a drive towards the top of Loch Lochy leads to Kilfinnan Falls, on the Kilfinnan Burn above Laggan. The burn drops through a wooded gorge, glimpsed at first through the trees, with a steep, narrow path scrambling up alongside for a clearer view.
It sits on the walkers' route heading up towards the hills above, so it rewards those willing to put in a little effort on foot. Reached from the locks at Laggan, this is very much an out-of-the-way fall rather than a signposted attraction, a quiet find for anyone exploring the wooded flanks of the Great Glen.
Falls of Roy
Photo: Karl and Ali via Geograph.org.uk
Explore the Falls of Roy Continue the drive into the hills near Roybridge and you reach the Falls of Roy, high in Glen Roy in the heart of Lochaber. Here the River Roy drops over rock in the upper glen, modest when the water is low but forceful in spate after rain.
Glen Roy is best known for its Parallel Roads, the striking shorelines of long-vanished ice-age lakes still marked along the hillsides, so there is real interest in the landscape as well as the fall. This is an obscure, little-documented waterfall in remote country, the kind of place you visit as much for the wild glen around it as for the water itself.
White Falls
Photo: John Ferguson via Geograph.org.uk
Seek out White Falls For seasoned walkers, White Falls lies deep in the Monadhliath, in remote, roadless country roughly ten miles south of Fort Augustus and southeast of Loch Oich. The name covers a scatter of white-water falls where small burns tumble over rock and peat across open moorland, on the high ground between Glen Buck and the head of Glen Tarff.
This is trackless hill country, far from any road or path and reached only on foot, so it demands map, compass and confidence. If that sounds too committing, the better-known waterfalls of the area lie down in Glen Tarff towards Fort Augustus, an easier alternative on the same outing.
Easan Dubha
Photo: Peter Moore via Geograph.org.uk
Visit Easan Dubha South of Fort William, a drive into Glen Orchy leads to Easan Dubha, the black falls, a run of falls and rapids on the River Orchy. The river drops over ledges of dark rock in a wooded stretch right beside the single-track road through the glen, so it is easy to reach yet feels satisfyingly wild.
This is a well-known spot on the whitewater run down the Orchy and a great favourite with photographers, who come for the fast water pouring through the gorge. Flow is strongest after rain, when the falls really come alive, making a wet-weather visit surprisingly rewarding for this dramatic Highland stretch.
Eas a’ Chaorainn
Photo: Adam Ward via Geograph.org.uk
Find Eas a’ Chaorainn in Knoydart For the most adventurous outing of all, take the boat from Mallaig to Knoydart, one of the remotest corners of the west coast, reached only by sea or on foot. From the village of Inverie, the stalkers' path up Beinn na Caillich passes Eas a' Chaorainn, the waterfall of the rowan, a couple of miles up from the shore, where a hill burn drops in a cascade beside the track.
Walkers climbing the hill pass right by it, with the fine peak of Ladhar Bheinn rising ahead across the glen. There are no facilities out here in this open, roadless country, so come fully prepared and self-sufficient.
Eas Urchaidh
Photo: Philip Halling via Geograph.org.uk
Explore Eas Urchaidh Also in Glen Orchy, reached on the single-track road up from Dalmally, Eas Urchaidh, the Falls of Orchy, makes a fine end to a southern day out. The river pours over broad ledges of rock in a wooded gorge, a well-known spot on a river that is popular with whitewater kayakers for its fast, powerful currents.
Handily, a car park and picnic area sit right by the falls, with old Caledonian pines clinging to the slopes above, so you can settle in and take your time. Widely rated one of the finest falls on the whole Orchy, it is an easy yet memorable place to finish.
FAQs
Which waterfall is closest to Fort William?
Steall Waterfall in Glen Nevis is the nearest, just over nine kilometres away and reached on a mile-long walk from the upper Glen Nevis car park, making it the obvious first choice from Fort William.
Are any of these falls easy to reach by car?
Yes. The Coe River Waterfall in Glen Coe is seen from a pull-in on the A82, and Eas Urchaidh in Glen Orchy has a car park and picnic area right beside the falls.
Do I need special preparation for the remote waterfalls?
For White Falls in the Monadhliath and Eas a' Chaorainn in Knoydart, yes. These are roadless, facility-free areas reached only on foot or by boat from Mallaig, so proper kit and navigation skills are essential.
Conclusion
With Ben Nevis at its back and the Great Glen, Glen Coe and Glen Orchy all within reach, Fort William makes an ideal base for chasing waterfalls. You could keep it gentle with the roadside Coe River Waterfall, put in a proper walk to the towering Steall, or take on the wilder ground of White Falls and the Falls of Roy.
The truly intrepid can hop the boat to Knoydart for Eas a' Chaorainn, while Glen Orchy offers two rewarding falls in a single trip. Whichever you choose, check the weather and the water levels, since many of these come alive after rain.
Pack decent boots, allow time for the single-track roads, and enjoy the scenery along the way: these are the waterfalls for a day trip from Fort William.
