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Ullapool · Nature
Corrieshalloch Gorge
Corrieshalloch Gorge National Nature Reserve combines a dramatic waterfall and suspension bridge with unusually useful family facilities near Ullapool. The 800m Gateway Path is the most manageable approach, but buggies must stop before the bridge and final viewing platform.
- Best for
- Primary-age and older; younger children need close supervision
- Cost
- Free gorge; parking £5 per car, free for NTS members
- Weather
- Outdoor walk; covered café seating, no indoor seating
- Visit length
- Route stop; 800m to the bridge from the centre, plus the return walk
Our family take
Choose Corrieshalloch when you want a memorable Ullapool route stop with a real walk and dependable facilities. Children get waterfalls, woodland and a slightly swaying bridge rather than another look-out from the car.
- Bridge maintenance, 5–7 October 2026. NTS has announced a suspension bridge closure from 5 October until the end of 7 October 2026 for annual maintenance checks. Check NTS for the latest bridge status before travelling.
- Best for. Primary-age children and older who can follow close-supervision rules around a deep gorge, plus families wanting toilets and food at an outdoor stop.
- Buggy limit. Keep the bridge and viewing platform out of your buggy route. If step-free access is essential, check current path conditions with NTS.
The practical details
Plan your visit
- Bridge notice
- NTS has announced a suspension bridge closure from 5 October until the end of 7 October 2026 for annual maintenance checks. Check NTS for the latest bridge status before travelling.
- Cost
- Gorge entry is free. Parking is £5 for cars and motorcycles or £10 for motorhomes, and free for National Trust for Scotland members. Check current charges before travelling.
- Gateway Path
- 800m, no steps and four benches, but undulating with inclines and two footbridges without handrails.
- Buggy reality
- Buggies can use the smoother approach but cannot go onto the suspension bridge or viewing platform.
- Facilities
- Visitor centre, toilets, accessible toilet, wall-mounted baby changing, takeaway café and covered outdoor seating.
- Bridge safety
- Maximum six people on the bridge and six on the viewing platform at a time. Both have a small step onto the deck; the bridge sways slightly.
- Parking
- The main visitor-centre car park is off the A832 near Braemore Junction; use IV23 2PJ for the car park. Main and overflow parking have tarmac surfaces and accessible bays. Confirm gate times with NTS before a late visit, and do not park on or beside the A835 when the car parks are full.
ParkingToiletsBaby changingTakeaway caféBuggy limitsAccessible parking
7 October 2026
Check current path information (official)A little more detail
Make it work for your family
Choose the right route
The 800m Gateway Path is the most manageable family approach from the visitor centre to the suspension bridge. It has no steps and includes benches, but it still undulates and has inclines.
Lady Fowler's Fern Walk is rougher, narrower and stepped. Treat it as an optional extension for confident walkers rather than the default family route.
From the overflow car park, a separate 400m path leads to the suspension bridge without steps. The Gateway Path starts at the visitor centre, so choose your approach around whether you need the toilets and café first. Allow for the walk back as well.
Prams, bridge and viewing platform
A buggy can help on the smoother visitor-centre and Gateway Path sections, but it cannot go onto the suspension bridge or final viewing platform. Families need a plan for who crosses and who stays with the buggy.
The bridge sways slightly and has a small step onto its deck. Only six people may cross at once, which can create a wait on busy days.
Beyond the bridge, the viewing platform is another 200m along a rough, uneven path with steps. The platform also has a small step onto its deck and a six-person limit.
Toddlers and supervision
Toddlers can use the visitor-centre area and parts of the approach, but this is not a relaxed free-roaming stop. The deep gorge, bridge rules and uneven extensions demand close supervision.
Primary-age children are the stronger fit because they can follow instructions and understand why the bridge and waterfall are special.
Choose another stop if heights, a swaying bridge or keeping a young child close would make the visit stressful. There is an easier pushchair- and wheelchair-friendly walk to a bench with views of Loch Broom, but it does not give you the bridge and viewing-platform experience.
Facilities, parking and opening
The Gateway to Nature Centre has toilets, an accessible toilet with baby changing, a takeaway café and covered outdoor seating. There is no indoor café seating.
Both car parks are tarmacked and have accessible bays, but the site can be extremely busy. If they are full, do not improvise a roadside space on the A835.
Use the toilets before starting the walk, and check staffed-facility hours if visiting outside the main season. Dogs are welcome on the reserve on short leads and under close control.
- Visitor centre season
- The gorge is normally open daily. In October 2026, the centre and café are listed as open daily, 9.30am–4pm; from 1 November to 31 March 2027, Thursday–Sunday, 9.30am–3pm. Check your date and car-park gate times before travelling.
- Toilets and changing
- The accessible toilet at the visitor centre includes a wall-mounted baby-changing unit. There are no toilets elsewhere on the reserve.
- Longer routes
- Lady Fowler's Fern Walk is 1.2km with rough, uneven ground, steps and cross drains; save it for capable walkers.
- Public transport
- Buses from Ullapool and Gairloch serve Braemore Junction. Check the timetable and your walking route before travelling; the approach to the centre involves roads, with traffic to watch when crossing.
How to use it near Ullapool
Corrieshalloch is 12 miles from Ullapool and works naturally before or after town time. Lochbroom Leisure Centre is the useful rainy-day comparison rather than an automatic same-day add-on.
Knockan Crag is farther north on the Assynt route and offers a shorter geology stop with toilets, but less shelter and no staffed café.
Before you go
This is an outdoor walk even with the café and covered seating. Bring waterproofs and shoes suited to uneven paths; the takeaway café has no indoor seating.
Plan the rest of your day
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