Rha Waterfall, Skye

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The River Rha tumbles down a densely wooded glen before emptying into Uig Bay, near the busy ferry terminal linking the Isle of Skye to the Western isles.

Most visitors to Uig come for the ferry, but there are several attractions close to the village that are well worth a stop, among them Rha Waterfall, a beautiful double cascade, reached by a short trail through the woodland.

Rha Glen forms part of Uig Wood, a nature reserve cared for by the Woodland Trust.

The reserve is in three parts. Shore Wood is a belt of mature woodland on the shore of Uig Bay.

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The Shore woodland links to Conon Wood, a densely-wooded ravine that follows the River Conon as it runs in a westerly direction and empties into the bay. The third part of the reserve is Rha Glen, which, like Conon Glen, is a thickly wooded area on both sides of a river gorge.

Uig Wood is considered ancient woodland and has been forested since at least 1860. It originally formed part of Uig Lodge, before passing to the Woodland Trust in 1988. This is one of the largest areas of broadleaf woodlands in northern Skye and is home to a huge variety of lichens, fungi, and moisture-loving plants such as nightshade, saxifrage, pimpernel, and pignut. Over 140 varieties of lichens have been found in the woodland.

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Getting There

The Woodland Trust recommends that you park at the Uig Community Hall (NG3942864025), signposted off the A87 about 100m past its junction with the A855.

From the community hall, the way to the waterfall walk is a bit convoluted. You have to walk back north to the A87, then loop around the junction onto the A855.

I suggest an alternative, which is parking at the small, unofficial, parking area at the A87/A855 road junction. There is room here for perhaps a dozen vehicles. From this parking area, simply walk up the right-hand side of the A855, in the direction of Staffin.

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Follow the A855 for 250 metres until you find a gap in the stone wall on your right, marked with a Woodland Trust information panel. Follow the path for 150m up the river gorge to the waterfall. The trailhead is immediately east of the River Rha bridge over the A855.

Be aware that the trail takes in wooden steps which can be slippery after rain!

I've visited Rha Waterfalls twice, and, though it can be a bit tough to find, it really is a lovely spot. The wooded gorge is stunning, and the waterfalls are not nearly so heavily visited as other nearby attractions, such as the Fairy Glen.