Pattack Falls

Pattack Falls, also called Lower Pattack Falls, are cascades on the River Pattack, tucked into a wooded rock gorge. A short forest path from the roadside car park makes this an easy stop if you're driving the A86 between Newtonmore and Spean Bridge. After rain, the water has more life. I'd stop in passing; the falls are modest, and the designated viewing spot can leave them partly screened, so they're not worth a special journey if you're expecting a huge open drop.

Use Druim an Aird car park near Feagour (NN 567 903); parking is free. Search for Pattack Falls or the car park, not only “Falls of Pattack”: the larger upper falls are a different walk from a separate layby. The path has uneven ground and can be muddy, so don't assume step-free access. There isn't a café or toilet listed at the falls; nearby Laggan Wolftrax has a separate seasonal café and toilets.

This gorge appeared in the BBC series Monarch of the Glen. It's a fun detail to have in mind while you look at the water, though the cascade and its rocky setting are the reason to stop.

If you want a longer forest outing, a route from the car park leads 2.2 km one way to the ruins of Druim an Aird, an abandoned township. They're low remains, not a dramatic ruin; the interest is in the traces of small homesteads that once occupied the glen. The circular option is rough underfoot, so take the route out and back.

After wet weather, the cascades are at their best. Include the dark pool and rock walls with the water so the photo shows the gorge as well as the falls; a tight crop loses what makes this small stop distinctive.