Spout Linn

Spout Linn is a waterfall in Dumfries and Galloway, southern Scotland. It lies where the Galloway hills drop steeply to the valley floor. The burn falls over a single drop of about twenty metres into a deep plunge pool below. ‘Spout’ and ‘linn’ are local words for falls and pools, common in southern Scotland and the north of England. The site sits in a landscape of heather moorland and oak woods that surround the narrow gorge. Scotland has more than 150 named waterfalls, most in the Highlands where rivers plunge down steep mountain slopes. Spout Linn is one of the few notable falls in the southern uplands, recognised on maps and in local guides. Its drop is modest compared with the highest single-drop falls, yet it remains a striking feature in a quieter part of the country. The burn that feeds the fall rises only a few kilometres away on the moor above. Visitors reach the fall by a short path from a small car park on the hill road. The path follows the burn upstream, crossing stepping stones before it turns down to the viewing ledge. From there the full height of the fall can be seen, with water crashing into the dark pool below. The surrounding woods echo with birdsong and the sound of rushing water. On calm days the spray rises straight up, catching the light. The air is cool and damp near the pool, a sharp contrast to the open moorland above.