Falls of Bruar

The falls first became popular as a tourist attraction at the end of the 18th century. At that time, the Bruar Water flowed through a treeless, barren landscape, and the falls were said to be a somewhat disappointing sight for those forced to make their way over the slippery rocks and steep banks to view them. William Gilpin, who visited the falls in 1776, thought them: Robert Burns, although taken with the falls themselves, was unimpressed by the lack of vegetation. After his visit in 1787, he wrote the poem,The Humble Petition of Bruar Water to the Noble Duke of Atholl. It entreated John Murray, 4th Duke of Atholl, the owner of the land, to plant some trees and bushes around the falls:…

The falls were probably formed some time in the last 10,000 years, after the retreat of the glaciers at the end of the last ice age. The waters slowly cut through the rock which had been pushed up by the geological forces which formed the Scottish Highlands some 500 million years ago. The layering of the rocks means that the water has cut a meandering path through the softer rock and left the harder rock untouched. This has led to the creation of deep pools, outcrops and, in one place, a natural arch. The falls consist of two large falls and a number of smaller drops. The water is often coloured brown from the peat through which it flows. Nowadays, the A9 Perth to Inverness road passes near…