Rogie Falls

Rogie Falls

A picturesque suspension bridge across Black Water provides an exceptional view of a striking waterfall that is also one of the best places in Scotland to watch the annual salmon run. Each year from July to October, salmon can be spotted leaping up the waterfalls on their way upriver to their spawning ground. A salmon ladder makes the passage easier when water levels are low.

Your best chance to see salmon at Rogie is in August and September.

Rogie Falls is well worth visiting even if the salmon are not running; trails lead through woodland and along the river gorge to observation points that offer wonderful views of the waterfalls. The best time to visit is after heavy rains or snow, when the water volume is high.

A closer look at the waterfall

Walking Trails

There are two main walking trails at Rogie Falls. The first is the shorter Salmon Trail, which runs directly from the car park to the waterfall, and is roughly 0.5 miles (0.8km) long. Expect this trail top take no more than 20 minutes for a return trip. The Salmon Trail is a wide, firm trail on a gravel bed. There is a long, steep slope on one section, but overall this is a moderate stroll.

The other, longer, trail is the Riverside Trail, a circular loop through the surrounding pinewood forest, which is 0.75 miles (1.3km) and will take about 30 minutes. The Riverside Trail is more strenuous than the Salmon Trail and takes in sections of rough gravel and earth, with steep slopes and uneven rocky sections. The Salmon Trail and Riverside Trail can be easily combined.

A walking trail through the woodlands

You can get wonderful photos of the waterfalls from the suspension bridge, but only if there are no other visitors trying to walk across the bridge at the same time, because the bridge will start to sway. If you want to get great photos, come early or late, when there are fewer visitors. There is a limit of 5 people on the suspension bridge at any one time.

The pinewoods surrounding Rogie Falls offer wonderful autumn colour. I came in late September to capture the photos accompanying this article.

Autumn colours at Rogie Falls

Getting There

There is a public car park off the A835 two miles west of Contin at NH 442 585. From Inverness, simply take the A835 towards Ullapool. There are public toilets, open during the summer months. The nearest postcode for satnavs is IV14 9EQ, which is about 1 mile east of the car park (towards Inverness).