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A long suspension bridge at Rogie Falls offers spectacular views and opens up a longer walk





The waterfalls on the Black Water at Rogie can be dramatic, especially after a sustained wet period or when there’s snow melt coming off Ben Wyvis.

The river comes crashing down through the rocks as it loses height before dropping more gently through Contin to join the River Conon that flows out into the Cromarty Firth.

The Rogie Falls in full flow.
The Rogie Falls in full flow.

The series of falls are more than 13 metres in height and a fairly new suspension bridge spans the water below them to give walkers a spectacular view.

From the Rogie Falls car park, off the A835 Tore to Ullapool road, there are a couple of waymarked forestry walks that explore the woods between the roadside and the bridge.

The yellow Salmon Trail takes you straight to the bridge to get a look at the falls, while the longer Riverside Trail takes a more meandering route with excellent viewpoints and a close-up look along the water’s edge.

Our route explores a bit further, heading over the bridge and into the forest at Contin to return above a stretch of the Blackwater and up a nice path alongside a small burn.

We started by following the wooden marker post for the Salmon and Riverside Trails out of the back of the car park. The good path is easily followed, and we saw a red kite fly above the pines on this damp and overcast day.

Crossing the footbridge.
Crossing the footbridge.

The path soon twists through S-bends and reaches a walled viewpoint over the falls then descends to the bridge itself. Care is needed around the falls, especially in the wet, as there are slippery rocks and roots and big drops.

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By its design, the bridge can move quite a bit, and out in the middle of the river you get a wonderful view of the falls in all their glory. The water was loud today as it powered its way down, blasting the rocks and rushing below our feet.

For times when the water isn’t quite at full flow like this, there’s also a salmon ladder built into the far side of the river to help the fish reach their spawning grounds in the autumn. The best time of year to see the salmon leaping is in August and September.

Salmon and Riverside Trail marker post at the start of the walk.
Salmon and Riverside Trail marker post at the start of the walk.

Over the bridge, a boardwalk section continues to make reaching the far bank a bit easier, and from there we continued up the hill. Up here, the river looks calm and innocuous, with little sign of what waits below!

At the top of the track, we turned right to join a wider forestry track. Forestry lorries, as well as vehicles accessing the farm at Rogie, use these tracks, so just be aware you might come across them along this stretch.

It’s possible the forest may have been impacted by the recent Storm Eowyn, too, so please follow any forestry signage that may be in place at the moment.

The route now follows this track for roughly a mile, with views out to the Strathconon hills in places where the trees are sparse enough. A few mountain bike trails lead off the main route, and partway along you join part of the Strathpuffer route from the recent 24-hour race.

There are loads more options for biking around here, and I must come back more often and try out some of the other excellent trails in the woods.

Rogie Falls seen from one of the viewpoints.
Rogie Falls seen from one of the viewpoints.

When we reached a green marker post, we turned right down a path that cuts out a wide turn on the track, then crosses that track again twice on its way down to the parking area for Contin Forest.

The toilets here, as well as the ones at the Rogie Falls car park, are only open from April to October, while charges apply at each car park.

From the Contin Forest car park, a path leads out the far end, between rocks and marked by a red post. The red route from here, though, is only a very short loop, so keep going straight on where it turns right as you enter the trees, keeping the Black Water on your left.

This rises slightly then turns away from the main river to follow a burn up the hillside. This is a great little path that clambers over tree roots as it follows the line of the burn closely, all the way up to meet the vehicle track we were on earlier.

Turning left, cross the burn on the track and follow it back to a wooden fingerpost sign pointing back down to Rogie Falls.

After the drop to the bridge, you get another chance to see the waterfalls before choosing a way back to the car park. We decided to follow part of the blue route, taking a left fork shortly after the bridge and following the path as it climbs back to the car park via the little shelter at its southern edge.

The climb back up alongside the burn.
The climb back up alongside the burn.

Route details

Rogie Falls and Contin Forest

Distance 3.5 miles / 6 km

Terrain Mostly well-made forest paths and tracks; some muddy and rougher path sections and steep slopes

Start/finish Rogie Falls car park

Map OS Landranger 26; OS Explorer 437

Crossing the footbridge over the dramatic Rogie Falls before a forest walk above the Black Water

Rogie Falls and Contin Forest. ©Crown copyright 2024 Ordnance Survey. Media 017/25.
Rogie Falls and Contin Forest. ©Crown copyright 2024 Ordnance Survey. Media 017/25.

Click here to see the route in OS Maps

Birch bark with interesting stripy pattern.
Birch bark with interesting stripy pattern.
Following the path to the bridge.
Following the path to the bridge.

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