Parking
Use the layby on the north side of the A86, about 70 m east of the Gallovie Farm track junction; walk back along the road to the track entrance.
Overview
About Falls of Pattack Trail
Why go
- Upper cascades viewed from a rocky gorge rim
- Optional branch gives a view up the gorge
Heads up
- Rough, potentially slippery path at the gorge
- Short roadside walk from the layby
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Cairngorms map
Full mapElevation251–327 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
3 active Cairngorms alerts
- CautionStorm Boelo high windsStorm Boelo will bring extremely windy weather to the Cairngorms; take extra care and limit time outdoors. - The Park Authority expects the very windy weather to last until Monday 26 October.Official details
- ClosureGlenmore wildfire closures and dangerous treesWildfire damage has closed Allt Mor car park and the path to Sugarbowl/Utsi’s Bridge; keep out of the closed area.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Cairngorms Tour Guide
Your drive to Falls of Pattack Trail, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Cairngorms National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Cairngorms audio tourRecorded for this trailhead
Upper Falls of Pattack from Gallovie0:00 / 0:24
“You're nearing the Gallovie starting point for the upper Falls of Pattack. A steady climb through woodland leads to viewpoints into the rocky gorge.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Cairngorms Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Lower Pattack Falls
- Water Through the Mountains
- A Military Road’s Unintended Use
- A Pine Marten’s Long Pause
- 298 audio storiesacross Cairngorms’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Red Deer, Reindeer, Osprey, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 260 trails, 90 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Falls of Pattack Trail
A short walk to the upper fallsThis is a roughly 2.8-mile (4.
This is a roughly 2.8-mile (4.5 km) out-and-back from the A86 layby by Gallovie to the upper Falls of Pattack. It climbs mostly on a farm track before a rougher woodland path reaches the rocky gorge. Allow about 1.5 hours, plus time at the viewpoints; the climb is steady rather than strenuous, with roughly 100 m of ascent.
Through GallovieUse the layby on the north side of the A86, about 70 m east of the Gallovie Farm track…
Use the layby on the north side of the A86, about 70 m east of the Gallovie Farm track junction, then walk back along the road to the track entrance. Take the first right, pass the vehicle barrier and turn left at the next junction toward Gallovie. The track rises through trees and past the farmhouse and steading; follow the blue waymarkers after the gate.
Into the gorgeAt the pedestrian gate and sign opposite a turning area, leave the track on the left into the…
At the pedestrian gate and sign opposite a turning area, leave the track on the left into the forest. Ignore the left-hand fork and follow the main path as it curves to the gorge rim for a view down toward the falls. A short branch gives a view up the gorge. Return to the main path and retrace the route to the layby.
Footing, edge and dogsThe final path is narrow and rough and can be slippery.
The final path is narrow and rough and can be slippery. The gorge edge is unfenced, so stay well back. The approach includes a short walk beside the A86. Dogs are welcome; keep them close to heel or on a short lead, particularly near livestock and ground-nesting birds from April through August, and follow local signs.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Cairngorms
159 sightingsRed DeerMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
63 sightingsReindeerMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
102 sightingsOspreyMost seen around 5 PMSighting map
37 sightingsBlack GrouseMost seen around 4 AMSighting map
72 sightingsRed GrouseMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
82 sightingsPine MartenMost seen around 9 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Cairngorms. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
