Falls of Foyers, Waterfall system at Loch Ness, Scotland
Falls of Foyers is a two-stage waterfall on the eastern shore of Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands, where water drops through a deep rocky gorge before reaching the loch. The upper and lower falls are connected by a short woodland path, and the lower cascade is the more dramatic of the two.
The falls gained wide attention in the 18th century when poets and travellers began writing about them, putting them on the map for early tourists. In 1895, a nearby aluminum smelting plant was built and began using the water flow for power, which changed how much water reaches the falls.
The falls have inspired Scottish poets for centuries, drawing writers who came to observe the cascades in person. Robert Burns visited and wrote verses about them, and William McGonagall also dedicated a poem to the site, which gives the place a quiet literary reputation.
The trail to the falls starts across from the Waterfall Cafe on the B852 road and passes through damp woodland with uneven ground. Sturdy footwear is worth wearing, and the path can be slippery after rain.
A pumped storage power station sits beneath the hills here, using Loch Mhor as a reservoir, and it can push water back uphill when electricity demand is low. This means the volume of water flowing over the falls can change noticeably depending on the time of day or year.
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