Inverkirkaig

The walk to Inverkirkaig Falls starts at a small car park near Lochinver, about five miles south toward Sutherland, and it's one of those Scottish trails that rewards you properly. You're heading inland through moorland that opens up gradually, following a burn uphill for roughly two kilometres until the waterfall suddenly appears through the landscape. It's not a towering cascade - more a series of drops tumbling down a rocky gully - but the setting is what gets you. The walk itself is straightforward enough, though the path gets boggy in sections and the final stretch involves some scrambling over boulders. Allow a good ninety minutes there and back, especially if you stop for photos, which you will. The real appeal here is the walk itself rather than the destination. Families with older kids will manage it fine; younger ones might find the terrain a bit steep going home. It's free, naturally, and works brilliantly as a half-day activity if you're staying in the area. Clachtoll Beach Campsite sits just nearby, making this an ideal add-on if you're based there. Go early in the day if you can - not because it gets busy, but because the light's better and you'll beat any afternoon mist rolling in from the coast. Wear proper boots and expect wet feet at some point; that's just part of the bargain up here.