Spout of Balbowie

The Spout of Balbowie is a waterfall in the Trossachs, near Stirling. It lies where a burn drops over a rocky lip into a deep pool below. The fall is fed by the hills that rise steeply to the north and west. Rain and meltwater from the higher ground keep the burn flowing all year. The name ‘spout’ marks it out as a narrow, vertical fall rather than a broad cascade. It is one of many such falls scattered across Scotland’s wet western Highlands. Highland place names often come from Gaelic, yet this one uses Scots ‘spout’, showing the mix of languages in the area. Visitors reach the fall by a path that leaves the A81 road. The track climbs gently through oak and birch woodland before opening on to a viewpoint above the plunge pool. From there the single drop of water can be seen falling some metres into the shaded basin below. The sound of the water fills the glen, and the spray keeps the rocks around the pool damp and green.