About Clashnessie Waterfall
The Clashnessie Waterfall was our waterfalling reason to take the deceptively long (and dangerous) out-and-back detour from the Loch Assynt vicinity towards the tranquil town and bay of Clashnessie (Clais an Easaidh in Gaelic).
The waterfall itself was said to be a modest 15m tall, but when we saw it in person, it had a very full flow and bulbous appearance.
This stood out behind the handful of homes and pastures that made up the community of Clashnessie.
On the opposite side of the hamlet in the direction of the Clashnessie Bay was a scenic soft-sanded beach, which our daughter thoroughly enjoyed since the hike to falls was a bit on the rough side.
A Sanctioned Hiking Path to the Clashnessie Waterfall
Speaking of the hike, the signs in the area actually pointed out that there were two paths reaching the Clashnessie Waterfall from the car park by the beach.
The sanctioned path actually required me to walk along the mostly single-track B869 road towards the western end of the hamlet before another sign pointed me inland.
This approach made me weave in between some private property before going onto a rough 4×4 track leading towards what seemed to be yet another property where I wasn’t sure if it was occupied or not.
Just before the trail disappeared into that property, there were more signs pointing to my left telling me that further progress required crossing the Abhainn Clais an Eas (Clashnessie River) across some stepping stones.
Because the river was running a bit high, I wasn’t willing to risk a mishap slipping and falling and possibly dousing my camera (and other things) with water.
Perhaps with trekking poles (which I didn’t have as I was trying to travel light) I might have been able to traverse these stepping stones without water getting into the Gore-tex boots.
But as it was, I had to turn back and give the non-sanctioned route a try.
At least I did spend some time taking a few photos of the front of Clashnessie Waterfall from a distance, but it did leave me wanting to get a closer look.
So after about 45 minutes or so of this futile out-and-back pursuit, I returned to the car park where I then started going the other route.
Alternate Path to the Clashnessie Waterfall
The non-sanctioned route started adjacent to the public car park near the Clashnessie Beach.
This route was the direct walking path at the base of the adjacent hills and cliffs leading past a private property or two before getting to the other side of the stepping stones that turned me back from the sanctioned route.
Beyond the stepping stones, then I’d finally reach the base of the impressive Clashnessie Waterfall.
It turned out that because this path passed by (and possibly through) some private property, it might have caused issues with the landowner(s).
This was especially apparent on the way back from the falls because regaining the trail past the stepping stones wasn’t obvious.
In fact, the trail skirting the private property was ill-defined as well as rocky and very muddy for most of the way.
Thus, I can easily see how confused hikers would inadvertently stumble into the fields of the private property thereby causing tension with the landowners.
In any case, the overall time I spent away from the car to do this hike was about 90 minutes.
However, we have to keep in mind that I did the trail both ways.
So it’s probably more reasonable to expect that this trail should take no more than 45 minutes to an hour depending on your pace and how long you want to linger at the falls.
Authorities
The Clashnessie Waterfall resides in the hamlet of Clashnessie near Stoer in Sutherland, Scotland. It may be administered by the Assynt Development Trust. For information or inquiries about the area as well as current conditions, visit their website.
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