Steallaire Bàn

Steallaire Bàn is a waterfall in Argyll and Bute, set in the rugged Highlands where steep valleys channel heavy Atlantic rains into fast rivers. The name comes from the Gaelic ‘eas’, meaning waterfall, and ‘ bàn’, meaning white or fair, describing the frothing water. It lies in a narrow gorge where the land drops sharply, creating a single tall fall rather than a series of smaller steps. The surrounding hills rise to over 900 metres, catching clouds that feed the burn all year round. Paths follow the burn upstream to the lip of the fall, where the water plunges into a deep plunge pool below. The site is remote, reached only by a rough track and a short walk through heather and bog. The fall is one of Scotland’s highest single-drop waterfalls, though its exact height is debated because of how falls are measured. Some lists place it above 200 metres, while others argue the true drop is closer to 150 metres when measured from the top lip to the pool. The burn that feeds it gathers water from a catchment of several square kilometres, ensuring a strong flow even in summer. Local walkers know the fall best, using it as a landmark on routes across the Mamores range. The name appears on Ordnance Survey maps, confirming its place among the country’s notable falls. Visitors find a steep, narrow gorge lined with mica-schist cliffs that glisten when wet. The plunge pool at the base is deep enough to hear the water echo off the rock walls. A rough path climbs beside the burn, crossing small streams and boulders before ending at a viewpoint above the fall. The air is always cool and damp, filled with the roar of water and the scent of wet stone. In winter, ice forms along the edges, turning the scene white and still. The surrounding hills are empty of buildings, leaving only the sound of the fall and the wind in the grass.