This is Golspie's hidden gem: a spectacular short walk up a gorge criss-crossed by footbridges and ending in a waterfall. A really excellent circuit.
Clear woodland paths with steps and steep slopes in places.
None to start - Golspie train station is 1.5km at the opposite end of the village.
Big Burn car park in Golspie.
There is a car park signed for this walk at the eastern end of Golspie, just west of the A9's bridge over the burn. A clear footpath begins here, heading upstream past the welcome sign, with Golspie Mill well seen across the burn. Soon the high railway arch comes into view ahead, and the path itself also crosses the burn on its own much more modest hump-backed footbridge - Colin's Bridge, named for the volunteer who did so much to maintain this walk. Pass under the railway arch and follow the path, ignoring a branch off left to a picnic area. The path crosses two small footbridges over feeder streams.
Soon a fork is reached. Ignore the path that slopes uphill to the right (signed for Skating Pond) and instead follow the main path continuing up the glen. The path eventually comes closer to the burn, and soon the most dramatic section of the walk begins at the rocky entrance to the Big Burn gorge. The path, just above the water, crosses a footbridge between two rock walls, crossing back to the right side just beyond beneath a cascading side-stream. The burn is crossed twice more; ignore a fork path off to the right.
After crossing the burn a fifth time a path heads up steps directly ahead. This is the continuation of the walk, but before heading that way follow the path upstream to the right. This leads immediately to the head of the gorge, hemmed in by rock walls; a viewing platform at the end reveals the burn tumbling into the ravine in a series of waterfalls, hidden round a corner until the last moment. Return to the path by the bridge and turn right up the steps.
This path climbs up and crosses a bridge above the waterfalls. Turn right at a junction and then keep right again a short distance further on as a path joins from the left. Ignore a path descending back into the gorge and continue ahead to pass alongside a car park. This provides an alternative start point for the walk; continue on the path directly ahead.
Eventually a cross-roads of paths is reached just short of an attractive pond once used for skating. The routes ahead and to the left make a recommended loop around the pond, an ideal spot for a picnic; to include this, keep to the lochside at any path junctions. After completing this, take the right hand path that descends steps and leads back down to the path up the Big Burn. Turn left here to retrace your steps over a bridge and under the railway on the way back to the start.
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