Walk: Golspie’s potentially Big Burn

📌 Golspie, Highland
★★★★

In normal conditions Golspie’s Big Burn looks nearly narrow enough to leap across, but enormous boulders in the stream bed suggest that this stream completely changes its character after heavy rain. Popular paths lead from the A9 to a dramatic gorge-like stretch of water course, criss-crossed by footbridges often sandwiched between vertical rock walls. The climax is a waterfall that’s hidden until the last moment and too tall to be captured in a single photo. The route is more straightforward than the longer hill and coastal walks in the area, with dense tree cover useful for a wet day.

📷 Chronological photo guide

🌍 Location

📌 Start / finish by the A9 0.5 mi east of Golspie village centre

🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NC 840006

🛰️ GPS coordinates: 57.979154,-3.962776

🚌 Bus to Golspie (0.5 mi) | 🚆 Dunrobin Castle (1 mi)

🚗 Car park

📝 Key info

▶ 3 km / 2 mi | ▲ 80 m | ⌛ 1 hr

Features: 🌊 Big Burn waterfall ★★★, gorge & viaduct

⬤ Moderate | Slightly muddy paths through woodland, steep especially after waterfall.

➡️ Clockwise lollipop circuit: start – Big Burn viaduct (cross footbridge) – Big Burn gorge – Big Burn waterfall via path closest to burn – retrace steps slightly then ascend to cross burn above waterfall – millpond via higher path on east side – viaduct – start

Download file for GPS

🥾 On our last visit

Wildlife: Grey wagtails, tits & other small birds; a few ducks on the millpond.

Weather: Cloudy with occasional brighter spells, temperature nominally in high teens but noticeably cooler in the gorge.

June 2023

Big Burn waterfall ★★★