Best Waterfalls in Perthshire
Written by UK Hidden Gems Editorial
Updated 5 August 2026
The best waterfalls in Perthshire are Linn of Tummel, The Black Spout, Falls of Moness, Falls of Tarf, Bracklinn Falls, Black Linn Falls, Cauldron Linn and Falls of Bruar.
Perthshire is big tree country, and its waterfalls fall through wooded gorges well-known enough to have drawn poets and dukes. Robert Burns walked the Birks of Aberfeldy and the Falls of Bruar, and his verses helped shape both, while the Dukes of Atholl built Ossian's Hall above the crashing Black Linn Falls at the Hermitage near Dunkeld.
Around Pitlochry, the tall Black Spout drops through oak woods and the Rivers Garry and Tummel meet over rapids at the Linn of Tummel. To the south, the Keltie Water thunders through its rock gorge at Bracklinn Falls above Callander, where the Lowlands give way to the Highlands, and the River Devon drops through its potholed canyon at Cauldron Linn.
Far up Glen Tilt, the remote Falls of Tarf pour into the glen by a Victorian memorial bridge. Some are short, easy walks; others need a long trek into the hills.
Here are eight waterfalls to seek out across Perthshire.
Linn of Tummel
Photo: Gordon Brown via Geograph.org.uk
Linn of Tummel is a woodland spot at the meeting of the Rivers Garry and Tummel near Pitlochry, cared for by the National Trust for Scotland. The name comes from the Gaelic for pool, and where the quieter Garry joins the livelier Tummel the water runs over rocky rapids and pools.
The original falls here were drowned in 1950 when a hydro-electric scheme raised the rivers and formed Loch Faskally, so it is rapids rather than a waterfall today. Riverside and woodland trails run through the reserve, crossing the water on a footbridge, and an old fish ladder built in 1910 survives on one bank.
An obelisk nearby marks Queen Victoria's visit in 1844.
The Black Spout
Photo: Karen Vernon via Geograph.org.uk
The Black Spout is a tall waterfall in oak woodland on the southern edge of the town of Pitlochry, where the Edradour Burn drops through a wooded gorge. A timber viewing platform looks out over the fall, reached on a short walk from a woodland car park or a longer stroll of about three-quarters of an hour from the town.
The path carries on up through the woods toward the Edradour distillery, with views out to the hill of Ben Vrackie. The fall runs at its fullest after rain.
Falls of Moness
Photo: N Chadwick via Geograph.org.uk
The Falls of Moness are a series of waterfalls in the Birks of Aberfeldy, a steep wooded gorge on the Moness Burn above the town of Aberfeldy. A circular path of a couple of miles climbs through the trees, with handrails on the steep sections and a footbridge crossing right above the upper falls.
Robert Burns walked here in 1787 and the place inspired his song The Birks of Aberfeldy. The birch woods that give the gorge its name climb the slopes above the water.
Falls of Tarf
Photo: Alan Reid via Geograph.org.uk
The Falls of Tarf are a run of falls where the Tarf Water pours through a steep ravine into Glen Tilt, in the hills far north of Blair Atholl. A suspension footbridge, the Bedford Memorial Bridge, crosses at the foot of the falls, built in 1886 in memory of a young man who drowned fording the river.
The falls lie about eleven miles up the glen on the old right-of-way route through to Braemar. It is a remote spot reached only by a long walk.
Bracklinn Falls
Photo: Carol Walker via Geograph.org.uk
Bracklinn Falls is a run of waterfalls where the Keltie Water pours through a deep, narrow rock gorge just above Callander, at the edge of the Highlands. The river tumbles over rock ledges into dark pools, thundering after rain, hemmed in by the steep, tree-hung sides of the ravine.
A footbridge crosses high over the gorge, giving a striking view straight down onto the falls; the earlier bridge here was swept away by a great flood in 2004 and has since been rebuilt. It is reached by a short, signposted walk from the edge of town through woodland, marking the line where the Lowlands give way to the Highlands.
Black Linn Falls
Photo: Mike Pennington via Geograph.org.uk
Black Linn Falls is a waterfall on the River Braan at the Hermitage, in the woods near Dunkeld. The river gathers and then crashes over a rock lip into a deep, churning pool, framed by tall trees and crossed by an old arched bridge.
The falls are best seen from Ossian's Hall, a little stone folly perched right above them, built for the Dukes of Atholl in the eighteenth century and fitted out inside with mirrors to reflect the tumbling water. In autumn salmon leap the falls, and the surrounding designed woodland holds some of the tallest Douglas fir trees in Britain, towering straight up beside the paths.
Cauldron Linn
Photo: William Starkey via Geograph.org.uk
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.
The way down to the water is steep and slippery over rough ground. It carries most water after heavy rain and thins in dry weather.
Falls of Bruar
Photo: jeff collins via Geograph.org.uk
The Falls of Bruar are a run of waterfalls in a wooded gorge on the Bruar Water near Blair Atholl, with clear pools and cascades below the House of Bruar. A path of about a mile and a half climbs one bank and returns the other, crossing the water on two stone bridges set as viewpoints.
The falls were celebrated by Robert Burns, who asked the Duke of Atholl to plant trees around the bare gorge; the trees, bridges and paths came after his visit. It is one of the most walked waterfall glens in the area.
FAQs
Which Perthshire waterfalls are linked to Robert Burns?
Two Perthshire falls are linked to Robert Burns. He walked the Falls of Moness in the Birks of Aberfeldy in 1787, inspiring his song The Birks of Aberfeldy, and he visited the Falls of Bruar near Blair Atholl, asking the Duke of Atholl to plant trees around the then-bare gorge, which was duly done after his visit.
What can you see at Black Linn Falls in Perthshire?
Black Linn Falls, on the River Braan at the Hermitage near Dunkeld, crashes over a rock lip into a deep pool, best seen from Ossian's Hall, a stone folly perched right above it. Built for the Dukes of Atholl in the eighteenth century, it was once fitted with mirrors to reflect the water, and the surrounding woods hold some of the tallest Douglas firs in Britain.
Where is the hardest waterfall to reach in Perthshire?
The Falls of Tarf, where the Tarf Water pours into Glen Tilt about eleven miles up the glen from Blair Atholl, are the hardest to reach in Perthshire, accessible only by a long walk on the old right-of-way toward Braemar. A Victorian suspension bridge crosses at the foot of the falls.
Conclusion
Perthshire wraps its waterfalls in some of the finest woods in Scotland, and history clings to them. Robert Burns walked the Falls of Moness in the Birks of Aberfeldy and the Falls of Bruar, and his words helped plant and shape both, while the Dukes of Atholl built Ossian's Hall over the crashing Black Linn at the Hermitage.
Around Pitlochry the Black Spout drops through oak woods and the Garry and Tummel meet at the Linn of Tummel. To the south, Bracklinn Falls thunders above Callander and the Devon carves its canyon at Cauldron Linn, while far up Glen Tilt the remote Falls of Tarf pour in by their memorial bridge.
From short strolls to long treks, these are the waterfalls to seek out across Perthshire.
