📌 Tidal race in Connel, Argyll & Bute
★★
Where does a waterfall flow in both directions? Answer: The Falls of Lora, underneath Connel Bridge, a few miles north of Oban on the west coast of Scotland. Here, 20 sinuous miles of water making up Loch Etive connect to the Atlantic Ocean by a channel just a few hundred metres wide. Water levels in the loch can’t squeeze through the gap fast enough to keep up with rising and falling tides on the ocean side, and when coupled with an underwater ridge / sill in the middle of the channel, this causes a set of rapids every 6 hours or so in alternate directions. The spectacle varies from moderately interesting on a neap tide to spectacular on a flood tide (and even more awesome for kayakers), but there’s nothing to see apart from the attractive bridge at slack water. Our pictures were taken during tides which fell somewhere in between the two extremes. The excellent Falls of Lora website (link below) grades the likely strength of the rapids depending on tidal ranges, which should help you time your visit perfectly. If spending more time in the area, Connel village has an excellent range of eateries to fill the stomach – we particularly recommend the restaurant at the Falls of Lora Hotel.
🌍 Location
📌 Underneath Connel Bridge (A828), north side of Connel
🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NM 912345
🛰️ GPS coordinates: 56.456436,-5.391008
🚌 Bus stops on A85 at A828 junction | 🚆 Connel (0.5 mi)
🚗 Car park on A85 at 🧭 NM 909343 / 🛰️ 56.454699,-5.394274
📝 Key info
⌚ Always viewable, subject to tides
🎫 Free
💬 There’s a good view of the bridge from the car park. From here it’s a 5-min walk east along the A85 pavement for a view of the falls from the roadside, or a slightly longer walk along the A828 onto the bridge itself (still with a pavement, but care should be taken on the bridge).
