Falls of Bruar

North of us, well into the southern edge of the highlands, lies Blair Atholl. nearby is the expansive campus of the House of Bruar, an upscale all-in-one shopping center for all things Scottish...food, clothes, hunting and fishing equipment, and gifts.



This establishment lies nest to Bruar Water, the stream that flows out of the highlands here to head south into the lowlands. As it makes its way down the side of the mountain, there are a series of falls that very slowly erode a granite gorge. From Wikipedia:

They have been a tourist attraction since the 18th century and were immortalized in a poem by Robert Burns, The Humble Petition of Bruar Water to the Noble Duke of Atholl, supposedly from the river itself entreating the Duke (of Atholl) to plant some trees in the then barren landscape.

Almost ten years later, after Burn's death in 1796, Murray [Duke of Atholl] began an ambitious scheme of planting that would eventually include 120,000 Larch and Scots Pine. The Duke was of the opinion that the planting should be both pleasing to the eye and profitable. He was eventually to become known as "Planter John", planting over 15 million trees throughout his estates during his lifetime. At the Falls of Bruar he also laid out the path that is still in use today, constructed the two bridges as viewpoints over the falls, and built a large number of huts and shelters. The huts were disliked by some visitors, and eventually fell into disrepair: only the partial remains of one stone hut can still be seen. William Wordsworth objected to the neatness of the paths when he visited in 1815, but the harsh lines of these have mellowed over the years. During the Victorian period many Rhododendron were planted to enhance the landscape.

The constant sound of water as you climb the, at times, steep path, grows quite loud when the path veers near the edge of the ravine. But, being in Europe, there is little in the way of fencing or handrails, so a visit to the edge is at your own risk. Nevertheless, there are places where it pays to be careful and have a look.

The water is very clear (and, I'm sure, terribly cold), no doubt the result of flowing through this granite slit it has carved.

It is clear that in the last two hundred plus years the trees have really taken root and added to the once barren landscape.

Wikipedia claims the total drop from top to bommon is 60 meters. It sure seems like much farther than this.

From the uppermost stone bridge across the gorge we find ourselves above the main set of falls. Looking down from the bridge we see some of the swift water breaking over smaller steps in the granite floor.

Looking downstream we see the top of the falls as the water goes over the edge.

While a bright sunny day, it was still pretty cool out and there was still the remnants of snow on the ground in a few places. Here, at this small bit of standing water, we find ice.

Great walk on a great day. this is a place to put on your must do list when in this part of Scotland.