The Best Waterfalls in the UK
Britain has no waterfall that would impress anyone from Iceland or Norway. What it has instead is density and access: hundreds of good ones, most within an hour of somewhere to sleep, and several you can walk behind or swim beneath.
Published 18 August 2026
Waterfalls happen where a river crosses from hard rock to soft. In Britain that means a handful of specific places: the Whin Sill in the North Pennines, the Yoredale beds of the Dales, the gritstone rim of Bannau Brycheiniog, and the glacial hanging valleys of the Highlands and Snowdonia. Everything below follows that geology.
The superlatives, honestly
Waterfall records in Britain are contested because there is no agreement on what counts as a single fall. The defensible version:
| Claim | Holder | The caveat |
|---|---|---|
| Highest unbroken drop, England | Hardraw Force, 30 m | Access is through a pub |
| Greatest volume over an unbroken drop, England | High Force, 22 m | Only in spate; not England’s tallest |
| Tallest in South Wales | Henrhyd Falls, 27 m | Distinct from the tallest in Wales |
| Tallest in Wales | Pistyll Rhaeadr | Falls in stages through a stone arch |
| Tallest in the UK | Eas a’ Chual Aluinn, Sutherland | Around 200 m; a long, remote walk in |
Wales
The best waterfall region in Britain for accessible variety. Waterfall Country in the southern Brecon Beacons puts four significant falls on one circular walk, including Sgwd yr Eira, which you can walk behind. Covered in full in the best waterfalls in Wales.
Yorkshire and the Dales
The Ingleton Waterfalls Trail, Aysgarth’s triple flight and Hardraw Force are within a short drive of each other, and Malham adds Janet’s Foss and Gordale Scar. See waterfalls in Yorkshire.
The North Pennines
Upper Teesdale holds High Force, Low Force and Cauldron Snout on the same river within a few miles. See High Force and the North Pennine waterfalls.
The Lake District
- Aira Force: National Trust, above Ullswater, with a stone bridge over the top of the fall. The most photographed in the Lakes.
- Scale Force: the highest single drop in the Lake District, near Buttermere, and a proper walk in.
- Stock Ghyll Force: a short walk from Ambleside town centre, which makes it the easiest good fall in the park.
Scotland
- Falls of Glomach: one of Britain’s highest, in Kintail, and a serious walk of several hours each way.
- Eas a’ Chual Aluinn: the tallest in the UK, in Sutherland near the North Coast 500; remote, and best seen from a boat on Loch Glencoul.
- Falls of Bruar: near Blair Atholl, with walks laid out at Robert Burns’s suggestion after he complained about the lack of trees.
- Steall Falls: in Glen Nevis, reached through a gorge and across a wire bridge that is a genuine test of nerve.
Snowdonia
Swallow Falls near Betws-y-Coed for roadside access, Aber Falls on the north coast for an easy family walk, and Rhaeadr Ddu at Ganllwyd for a quieter option. All covered alongside the southern falls in waterfalls in Wales.
Safety at waterfalls
Waterfalls concentrate the two things that kill people in the British outdoors: cold water and slippery rock. A few rules that are not negotiable:
- Plunge pools have recirculating hydraulics when a river is in spate. Do not swim below a fall in high water.
- Wet rock beside a fall is as slick as ice, and the consequences of a slip are a fall onto more rock.
- Upland rivers rise extremely fast. Rain on the hill two hours ago reaches you now.
- Cold water shock is a year-round risk in Britain, not a winter one.
Where to stay
Waterfall country and glamping country overlap almost exactly, because both follow upland river valleys. The Brecon Beacons, the Yorkshire Dales, the Lake District and the Highlands are the four to aim at.
Glamping in the Scottish Highlands
50 Highland sites, best-rated first, the region with the biggest falls and the longest walks in.
See all 50 sites (44 more not shown here).
Common questions
- What is the tallest waterfall in the UK?
- Eas a’ Chual Aluinn in Sutherland, at around 200 metres. It is remote, and most easily seen from a boat on Loch Glencoul.
- What is the tallest waterfall in England?
- It depends on the definition. Hardraw Force in Wensleydale has England’s highest unbroken single drop at 30 metres; High Force in Teesdale is 22 metres but carries far more water.
- Which UK waterfall can you walk behind?
- Sgwd yr Eira in the Brecon Beacons, on the Four Waterfalls Walk. A ledge runs behind the curtain of water.
- When is the best time to see waterfalls in the UK?
- After sustained rain, and generally between October and April. Summer low water reduces even the biggest falls considerably.
Keep reading
- Waterfalls & wild waterThe Best Waterfalls in WalesWales’s best waterfalls, the Four Waterfalls Walk in Waterfall Country, Henrhyd, Pistyll Rhaeadr, Aber Falls and Swallow Falls, with walks, access and stays nearby.
- Waterfalls & wild waterWaterfalls in YorkshireYorkshire’s best waterfalls, the Ingleton Waterfalls Trail, Aysgarth Falls, Hardraw Force and Malham’s Janet’s Foss, with access, walks and where to stay.
- Waterfalls & wild waterHigh Force and the North Pennine WaterfallsA guide to High Force, Low Force and Cauldron Snout in Upper Teesdale, how tall they really are, how to reach them, and where to stay in the North Pennines.