Falls of Measach Corrieshalloch
The Falls of Measach in the Corrieshalloch Gorge near Braemore Junction in Ross-shire are the finest waterfall in Scotland, a spectacular cascade of approximately 45 metres where the River Droma plunges into one of the deepest and most dramatically formed river gorges in Scotland in a display of geological and hydrological power that has made it one of the most visited natural features in the northwest Highlands. The National Trust for Scotland manages the gorge and the combination of the falls, the suspension bridge across the gorge and the extraordinary depth of the canyon creates a natural heritage experience of exceptional drama.
The Corrieshalloch Gorge is a box canyon cut by glacial meltwater at the end of the last Ice Age approximately 10,000 years ago, the violent meltwater erosion cutting down through the ancient Lewisian and Torridonian rocks of the Ross-shire landscape in a period of intense geological activity. The gorge is approximately one kilometre long and its vertical walls drop approximately sixty metres to the river below in a narrow slot of considerable dramatic effect. The suspension bridge across the gorge near the falls provides the finest view of the waterfall and the combination of the bridge, the falls and the depth of the gorge creates a memorable and slightly vertiginous experience.
The Falls of Measach are designated as a National Nature Reserve for the remarkable plant communities that colonise the shaded, humid walls of the gorge, the rare filmy ferns and the diverse mosses and liverworts creating a botanical interest that complements the dramatic geological and hydrological character of the site.