Eas a' Chait

Eas a’ Chait is a waterfall in the Highlands of Scotland. It stands where a steep burn tumbles over a rocky lip into a deep pool below. The name comes from the Gaelic ‘eas’ for waterfall and ‘cat’ for wildcat, a creature once common in these hills. Highland rivers on the wetter west side often form such falls as they cut through hard rock layers. The falls sit among heather moorland and birch woods that colour the slopes. The falls are recognised among Scotland’s highest single-drop waterfalls. Their exact height is hard to measure because the drop is split into several tiers rather than one sheer plunge. Geographers prefer to list falls by their tallest single drop, and Eas a’ Chait appears in such tables. Many Highland waterfalls make competing claims to the top spot, so the list is often debated. The wet climate and rugged terrain of the west Highlands encourage the creation of these features. Visitors find a narrow path leading from a forestry track to the viewpoint above the falls. The plunge pool below is deep and clear, fed by the burn that rushes down after rain. From the top the water can be seen splitting into smaller cascades before it gathers again in the pool. The surrounding moor stretches away with only the sound of water and wind in the birch branches. On quieter days the falls form a fine veil of spray across the rocks.