Family Waterfalls in Skye & Lochalsh
Written by UK Hidden Gems Editorial
Updated 5 August 2026
The family waterfalls in Skye & Lochalsh are Bearreraig Waterfall, Eas Tardil Waterfall, Carbost Burn Waterfall, Eas a’ Bhradain, Mealt Falls, Falls of Glomach and Bride’s Veil Falls.
Skye and Lochalsh hold some of the most dramatic waterfalls in the Highlands, where burns and rivers spill off high moorland, plunge over sea cliffs and slip down rock faces toward the coast. For families, the range runs from truly effortless to seriously demanding.
At one end sits Mealt Falls at Kilt Rock, viewed from a railed platform just steps from the car park, and the roadside Eas a' Bhradain by Loch Ainort. At the other lies the mighty Falls of Glomach, among the highest in Britain, reached only by a long and strenuous hillwalk fit for older children and strong legs.
In between are informal spots like Bride's Veil Falls and the coastal Carbost Burn, along with wilder, out-of-the-way falls such as Bearreraig, down a long staircase to the shore, and remote Eas Tardil with no marked path at all. Knowing which is which matters when you are planning a day with children.
Read on for honest notes on the walk in to each one. Here are seven family waterfalls to seek out in Skye & Lochalsh.
Bearreraig Waterfall
Photo: S Parish via Geograph.org.uk
Bearreraig Waterfall lies on the Isle of Skye below the Storr, where the Bearreraig River drops toward the sea at Bearreraig Bay. Getting down to it is a steep descent, including a long concrete staircase of 647 steps cut into the hillside above a sharp drop, so this one is for families happy to work hard and better suited to older children.
At the bottom is a boulder and shingle bay beneath crumbling cliffs, with a small hydro power station, since the river's flow is controlled by the Storr Lochs scheme running since the 1950s. The bay is a well-known place for hunting fossils.
A steep, wild spot to seek out.
Eas Tardil Waterfall
Photo: John Allan via Geograph.org.uk
Eas Tardil Waterfall is a coastal waterfall on the Isle of Skye, where a hill burn drops to the sea into Loch Snizort, east of Lusta. The Trotternish peninsula lies across the water.
It is a remote shoreline fall with no marked path or facilities, so this one is strictly for families happy to navigate rough, trackless ground for themselves and better suited to older children. Little is recorded about it beyond its name and rough position.
For those drawn to genuinely wild and lonely corners of Skye, it is an out-of-the-way one to seek out.
Carbost Burn Waterfall
Photo: Richard Dorrell via Geograph.org.uk
Carbost Burn Waterfall is a small waterfall on the Carbost Burn, near the village of Carbost on the Isle of Skye, where the burn drops over rock in a pretty little fall a short way from the village. It runs through green country toward the sea loch of Loch Harport, and it is the same stream that supplies the celebrated Talisker distillery nearby.
This is an out-of-the-way spot rather than a marked sight, seen from a quiet back road, with a pool below the drop where you might take a dip. Its flow rises and falls with the weather.
A modest, low-key fall to seek out.
Eas a’ Bhradain
Photo: Peter Bond via Geograph.org.uk
Eas a’ Bhradain is a waterfall on Skye, on a burn that runs down into Loch Ainort a little west of Luib on the main road. The water comes down in a run of stepped cascades into a broad, shallow pool, easily seen from the road, which makes it a genuinely simple stop for families.
A layby and a short, sometimes muddy path lead to the foot of the falls. It is also known locally as the Blackhills waterfall.
For an easy roadside fall that even young children can reach without much effort, it is an inviting one to seek out.
Mealt Falls
Photo: N Chadwick via Geograph.org.uk
Mealt Falls is a waterfall on the Trotternish coast of the Isle of Skye that carries the outflow of Loch Mealt straight over the sea cliffs into the Sound of Raasay. It is viewed from a railed platform beside the Kilt Rock car park on the main road, just a few steps from parking, which makes it one of the easiest falls here for families.
Right next to it stands Kilt Rock, a cliff of around ninety metres where vertical basalt columns look like the pleats of a tartan kilt. The fall drops somewhere around fifty-five to sixty metres.
It is separate from Lealt Falls, a little way south. Seek it out.
Falls of Glomach
Photo: Ibn Musa via Geograph.org.uk
Falls of Glomach are among the highest waterfalls in Britain, dropping around 113 metres in a remote gorge in the hills of Kintail in the Highlands. Reaching them means a long, strenuous hillwalk of some hours over rough ground, ending at a rocky ledge that looks onto the fall, so this is one strictly for families happy to walk hard and best kept for older children with hill experience.
The water plunges down a deep cleft in wild, empty country far from any road. The National Trust for Scotland cares for the land around it.
For a serious walk to a truly dramatic reward, seek it out.
Bride’s Veil Falls
Photo: Elliott Simpson via Geograph.org.uk
Bride’s Veil Falls is a slender waterfall on the Isle of Skye, below the rocky pinnacles of the Storr on the Trotternish peninsula, where the water slips down a rock face in a thin white veil, the shape that gives it its name. It stands close to the coast road and can be seen from a layby, with a short, steep scramble up to the foot of it on ground that is often wet and muddy, so surefooted families and older children will manage best.
From there the views open out over Loch Leathan and the sea, with the jagged crest of the Storr behind. A pretty pause to seek out.
FAQs
Which Skye waterfalls are easiest for families with young children?
Mealt Falls at Kilt Rock is viewed from a railed platform just steps from the car park, and Eas a' Bhradain by Loch Ainort is easily seen from the road with only a short path. Both make simple stops on a touring day. Keep children back from the cliff edge at Mealt Falls.
How hard is the walk to the Falls of Glomach?
Very hard. The Falls of Glomach are among the highest in Britain and reaching them means a long, strenuous hillwalk of some hours over rough ground. It is best saved for older children and adults with hill-walking experience.
Are there any waterfalls with a swimming pool below?
Carbost Burn Waterfall has a pool below the drop where some people take a dip, but there are no facilities and the flow changes with the weather. Take great care around any water, as waterfalls and their pools can be dangerous.
Conclusion
Skye and Lochalsh serve up waterfalls for every level of family adventure, from the effortless to the epic. Mealt Falls at Kilt Rock and the roadside Eas a' Bhradain can be reached with barely any effort, perfect for little legs and quick stops on a touring day.
At the far end, the Falls of Glomach demand a long, strenuous hillwalk best saved for older children, while Bearreraig and Bride's Veil ask for steep descents on rough, often muddy ground. Whichever you choose, match the walk to your group, wear proper footwear, watch the weather since many falls swell after rain, and always keep children well back from cliff edges and slippery rocks.
Plan honestly around what your family can manage, and from cliff-top drops to hidden coastal burns, these are the family waterfalls to seek out in Skye & Lochalsh.
