📌 Beauly, Highland
★★
The River Orrin is one of several rivers which join together around Conon Bridge to empty into the Cromarty Firth. Wooded in its lower reaches and dammed further up, this doesn’t seem to be a popular walking area, but a network of tracks and bridges make circuits of various lengths possible. This route incorporates the two main sights – a waterfall and a private tower house – both with rougher access paths than the excellent tracks elsewhere on the circuit. The Falls of Orrin are often little more than a trickle due to the reservoir upstream, but Fairburn Tower is rewardingly pretty in pink and offers great views east from its approach.
River Orrin at the start 
Track along the south bank of the river 
Falls of Orrin (south bank) 
Sluice at the Falls of Orrin 
Path upstream of the falls 
Track to Stronachroe 
Crossing the river at Stronachroe 
River Orrin at Stronachroe 
Track along the north bank of the river 
Cùl Beag 
Path to Fairburn Tower 
Cnoc Udais (right) from the ascent 
Fairburn Tower 
Falls of Orrin (north bank) 
Walk finish
🌍 Location
📌 Start / finish on minor road just north of River Orrin / Aultgowrie, 1 mi south of Marybank
🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NH 477517
🛰️ GPS coordinates: 57.529454,-4.545773
🚌 Very infrequent bus to Marybank (1 mi)
🚗 Verge parking suitable for small cars only – don’t block nearby tracks or turning areas
📝 Key info
▶ 7 km / 4 mi | ▲ 120 m | ⌛ 2-2.5 hr
Features: 💧 River Orrin; 🌊 Falls of Orrin; 🏰 Fairburn Tower
⬤ Moderate | Detour to Fairburn Tower is on a narrow, steepish path. Paths around the Falls of Orrin are informal, narrow & a little overgrown. Both of these parts could be omitted, with the rest of the circuit on excellent tracks.
Download file for GPS➡️ Clockwise circuit with detour to Fairburn Tower: start – Falls of Orrin via south bank of River Orrin – cross river at Stronachroe – path junction on north side of Falls of Orrin – Fairburn Tower – return to path junction – Falls of Orrin (view from north bank) – start
🥾 On our last visit
Wildlife: Cows & horses in adjacent fields. Cuckoos heard; yellowhammers, robins, wrens.
Weather: A rain shower early on, then a bit brighter. Temperature in mid teens, light wind.
June 2026
