Spout of Ballochleam

The Spout of Ballochleam stands near Stirling in the foothills of the Ochil Hills. It is a waterfall formed by the burns that tumble down the steep northern slopes of the range. The burn drops some forty metres in a single leap into a deep plunge pool below. The name ‘spout’ describes exactly what happens here: water is forced out in a narrow column before it spreads into spray. The surrounding landscape is rough moorland with patches of heather and rushes. Scotland has more than 150 named waterfalls, most of them in the Highlands where the hills are steep and the rainfall high. The Spout of Ballochleam is one of the few notable falls in the southern half of the country. Its Gaelic name is Eas Ballach Leamh, which simply means ‘waterfall of the grey rock’. The burn itself is small, but the height of the drop gives the fall its dramatic presence. Visitors reach the base of the fall by following a rough path that climbs from a farm track near Ballochleam. At the plunge pool the noise of the water fills the narrow gorge. Above the fall the burn runs through open moorland where curlews call and skylarks rise. On a still day the spray hangs in the air like a fine mist, catching the light before it drifts away.