Foyers on Loch Ness: Waterfalls and Walking Trails

Foyers combines impressive waterfalls with trails along Loch Ness and a variety of options for an active day out. The Falls of Foyers, known in Gaelic as Eas na Smùide (“Falls of Smoke”), consist of two groups of waterfalls on the River Foyers, which plunges through a dramatic gorge towards Loch Ness. Choosing a holiday apartment in Foyers is particularly appealing if you want to combine nature experiences, walks and different day trips.

Waterfalls as a striking experience

The Upper Falls of Foyers consist of three cascades, each around 14 metres high. The Lower Falls are around 30 metres high. This means that the waterfall can be experienced not only as a single viewpoint, but as a landscape with different stages of falls and a striking gorge. The Falls of Foyers also played an outstanding role as a visitor attraction in the development of tourism in Scotland during the 19th century. Those interested in the history of famous destinations will therefore find a historical aspect here alongside the natural experience.

Circular walks between water, woodland and shore

For a day featuring several different landscapes, Foyers Circular including Upper Falls is a good option. The circular route takes in both the Upper and Lower Falls of Foyers as well as the shore of Loch Ness. It leads from the Jane Fraser Memorial down to the lakeshore along a narrow path. When planning your day, you should take into account the changes between the waterfall area, the narrow path and the shore on this route.

The Foyers Bay Circular North has a different route character. The circular walk begins at the old aluminium factory in Lower Foyers and follows the loch past a small shingle beach with impressive views. The route is very easy and flat, but runs along roads and a rough path on the northern shore of Foyers Bay. This allows you to choose your excursion more specifically according to your preferred type of path: waterfalls and lakeshore on the one hand, or a level shore route with views across the bay on the other.

Further trails for different day plans

The Reservoir Walk, Foyers is a short circular route to the old reservoir behind Foyers. It also includes a steep section through trees; another part may be boggy. Take these trail conditions into account when planning a suitable day, especially if you want to accommodate different age groups or different preferences for walking.

Those who want to get to know the surroundings from the perspective of a longer route can plan the walk from Inverfarigaig to Foyers. It follows a short section of the South Loch Ness Trail, includes a viewpoint overlooking Loch Ness and offers views across Foyers Bay via a short detour. The Foyers Bay Circular North, by contrast, begins directly at the old aluminium factory in Lower Foyers. The holiday apartment you look for may therefore sensibly depend on whether you want to focus on short circular walks, a section of the long-distance trail or several views of the shore.

Experience Loch Ness from the water

The Loch Ness RIB Tour from Foyers offers an additional perspective. It visits remote sections of the shore and the Ruined Urquhart Castle. The boat tour therefore complements the trails on land with an experience on the loch. When planning a trip with several interests, you can choose between waterfalls, shore trails, viewpoints and a tour on Loch Ness without reducing the character of Foyers to just one attraction.

Getting there and further destinations

The Highland Council’s full bus service 302 runs to Foyers. From there, passengers can visit the Falls of Foyers and walk along the hillside trail beside Loch Ness. When choosing your accommodation, check which of the walking and excursion ideas described best suits your preferred travel pace.

For further travel planning, you can also discover Balmacara, Duror, Bunchrew, Dunvegan, Shandwick, Knockbain, Fort William and Culbokie.

To the higher-level travel overview: Highland.