Glenashdale Falls Walk

Glenashdale Falls (upper falls)

Glenashdale Falls (Eas a' Chrannaig) has been called the finest waterfall on Arran. It is a double cascade set in beautiful woodlands immediately west of Whiting Bay, on the eastern coast of the island.

A walk to enjoy the waterfalls can be combined with a visit to the Giant's Graves, a pair of Neolithic chambered cairns a short distance away.

What makes Glenashdale Falls doubly enjoyable is that there are not one, but two viewing platforms, each offering a different view of the double falls.

The lower falls

Getting There

There is a parking area on the A841 coast road at the southern end of Whiting Bay, immediately south of Ashdale Bridge.

Cross the road and take the signposted footpath that follows the south bank of Glenashdale Burn. The going is moderate, with only a slight rise in elevation as the trail heads up the burn.

You will pass a path on the left but carry straight on, following the burn. The trail goes over a small footbridge across a tributary of Glenshadale Burn and begins to climb steeply.

An unnamed waterfall on Glenashdale Burn

At roughly the 2km mark you come to a wooden viewing platform projecting out over the burn, offering a good view of the double waterfall.

From top to bottom the waterfall drops some 45m (140 feet).

Carry on a short distance up the trail to a second viewing platform, where you can get a better view of the upper falls. It also gives you a rather scary view back to the first viewing platform where you realise just how far it projects out over the steep gorge below.

Wild garlic along the woodland trail

From this second viewing platform you will see a signpost for the Arran Coastal Way long-distance path, which leads back east to the Giant's Graves. This path climbs more dramatically than the first, but is still easy going.

Simply follow the signs to the chambered cairns, then beyond as the path loops back towards the car park, offering outstanding views over Whiting Bay as it descends. This part of the trail is the steepest, so if that's a problem you could simply retrace your steps.

Glenashdale burn in spring

Of course, if the chambered cairns don't interest you, simply take the relatively level trail along the burn to the viewing platforms and return the same way.

The circular route taking in both the Glenashdale Falls and the Giant's Graves is roughly 4.75km (3 miles) long and will take from 1.5-2 hours to complete.

One thing we really enjoyed was walking through the woods in spring, when the undergrowth was lush with wild garlic.

Glenashdale Falls is included in our list of 22 Beautiful Scottish Waterfalls.