Spout of Ballagan

The Spout of Ballagan is a waterfall in the Campsie Fells near Stirling. It stands where a small burn drops over a series of limestone ledges into a deep plunge pool. The surrounding hills rise to about 400 metres, giving the site a dramatic setting in the southern Highlands. Rainfall on the moors feeds the burn year-round, so the fall is usually in motion. Walkers reach it along farm tracks and a rough path that climbs gently from the village of Strathblane. The fall is recognised as one of Scotland’s most impressive single-drop waterfalls. Its name comes from the Scots word ‘spout’, meaning a vertical fall, rather than the Gaelic ‘eas’ used in the Highlands. The Campsie Fells contain several other burns and linns, but Ballagan’s drop is the tallest in the range. Visitors often combine a visit with a walk up the nearby Dumgoyne, the highest hill in the group. At the foot of the fall the plunge pool is surrounded by wet rock and mossy banks. The path continues upstream through heather and bilberry, offering views back to the drop. On quieter days the only sounds are the rush of water and the calls of ravens overhead. The site is part of the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park, so the landscape is protected and feels wild.