Eas a' Chobhain Duibh

Eas a’ Chobhain Duibh is a waterfall in the western Highlands where the land rises steeply from the wet coast. It lies among the high hills where rivers cut deep gorges through hard rock. The name comes from Gaelic and means ‘waterfall of the black hollow’. Many Highland falls share this word ‘eas’ in their names. The wet climate keeps the rocks dark and the spray constant. The waterfall is one of Scotland’s highest single-drop falls, though measuring such drops can be tricky. Some lists count only the tallest uninterrupted drop, while others add smaller steps together. Highland rivers often form these tall falls where hard rock layers sit above softer ones. The falls tumble into a deep plunge pool below, carved out over centuries. Visitors reach the site along rough paths that climb beside the gorge. The final approach crosses wet rocks and small streams. From the top the water plunges more than twenty metres straight down into a dark pool. Mist rises from the impact, coating nearby trees in spray. The sound of falling water fills the narrow valley, and the air smells of wet stone and pine.