The Falls of Divach and Craigmonie Walk

The Falls of Divach and Craigmonie Walk is an easy-moderate car-free walk from the bustling village of Drumnadrochit to the lovely falls at Divach and onwards to the iron-age fort of Craigmonie.

Drumnadrochit | Scotland

Another day, another walk! We did this walk on a recent trip to Loch Ness. We stayed at a campsite in Drumnadrochit. There are countless walks around Loch Ness and the Craigmonie and Divach Falls walk is very accessible from Drumnadrochit.

Most guides recommend the reverse route but we did the Falls of Divach first because (a) the path was nearer to our campsite, and (b) we weren’t sure if we would be able to complete the whole walk in which case the waterfall took precedence. You can do the route either way.

Breakfast at Scotmid and we were on our way to the Falls of Divach. The whole route, bar a short section from the road to the viewing point, is tarred and used by cars. There are no footpaths along these roads, so be aware of vehicles going up and down the hill. We walked along Balmacaan Road, past the cute cottages and B&Bs, and across the bridge over the Coiltie. The road climbs uphill beside lush pastures dotted with fluffy sheep and we stopped countless times to say hello to the many sheep that grazed nonchalantly. We didn’t encounter a single human along the way. Just sheep! Up along a series of steep bends that knocked us out of breath, past some more pastures, and we stopped at a fork with a sign that says Divach Falls. The parking is 300 m from here.

Also read: Explore Loch Ness with our car-free travel guide: Exploring Loch Ness.

Continue right, then enter through the gates next to the car park. A signed path off to the right descends through the woods to reach a fenced viewpoint for the falls, which are especially impressive after heavy rains swell the 30m cascade. When we visited in the summer, the falls were more of a trickle but the woods were sun-dappled and lush. We made our way up the hill to the car park and towards town but instead of going back to Drumnadrochit, we took a left at Rillan Cottage and continued uphill towards Balmacaan Woods.

One of the best things on the Falls of Divach and Craigmonie Walk is the gigantic redwoods that fill the forest here! Sun rays streaming through the high branches and lighting up the reddish barks of the trees created a magical scenery here. It was completely quiet except for the sound of our footsteps and the occasional chirping of birds. Soon we reached a massive redwood. Turn left here, signed for the Affric Kintail Way. Continue through the woods till you reach a clearing, then carry on along the trail. In places, the forestry has been removed and native regeneration has begun. There are lovely views of the surrounding hamlets from here.

Also read: Looking for another superb walk in the Highlands? Read our experience of completing the Lost Valley Walk in Glen Coe.

We got a wee bit lost here but a kind gentleman showed us to the top of Craigmonie. He had a wonderful dog that came bounding at us in great joy and licked our faces! We followed the two as they went up the crag. The crag is a lovely viewpoint with a seat overlooking Drumnadrochit and Loch Ness. It was once an iron age fort and is named after a Viking prince who retreated there after a battle. We rested awhile and enjoyed the lovely views of Loch Ness, then retraced our steps back to where the path forked. Instead of going back, we took the left and walked along the fence with open fields on our right as we continued through the inside edge of the woods. Downhill through the woods again till we the two redwoods, then we followed the signs back to Drumnadrochit for a well-deserved cup of coffee!