Waterfalls in United Kingdom
There are many suprising waterfalls in the United Kingdom. The official name is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It is a big country with many waterfalls, containing the regions (countries) Wales, Scotland, England and Northern Ireland.
Most of the major waterfalls in the United Kingdom can be found in mountainous area’s. Scotland and Wales are the most mountainous parts of the United Kingdom. A ridge of hills, the Pennines, runs down the centre of northern England. The highest mountain is located in Scotland (1.344 meters) and is Ben Nevis (Beinn Nibheis), a region with the tallest waterfalls in Scotland. Mountains in Wales are less high but still three mountaintops are over a thousand meters.
Waterfalls of the UK map
I have listed about 200 of the best waterfalls of the United Kingdom on a Google map. The “waterfalls of UK map” is easy to use and there are links to all waterfalls of UK with more information. Just click on the bigger map icon to view the “waterfalls of UK map” fullscreen. Since I am more active on Facebook and Instagram spotting waterfalls I discovered so many more surprising waterfalls that I have to go back next year. The light blue dots I haven’t visited yet and I have to do more research to add them to my website. The dark blue pinpoints I visited in the summer of 2023 when I crossed the UK chasing waterfalls.
Best waterfalls in the UK
| # | Rating | # | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ingleton waterfalls | England | Ingleton (Yorkshire Dales national park) | 4-30 m | 4 | 3.5 | |
| Spekes mill mouth waterfall | England | Milford, Hartland, Bideford (Devon) | 48 m | 48 | 3 | |
| St Nectans waterfall | England | Trethevy, Tintagel | 18 m | 18 | 3 | |
| Stanley Ghyll Force | England | Beckfoot, Eksdale | 18 m | 18 | 3 | |
| Aira force | England | Ullswater-Pennrith-Cumbria | 21 m | 21 | 2.5 | |
| Aysgarth falls | England | Aysgarth, Wensleydale | 6-61+10 m | 6 | 2.5 | |
| Falling Foss waterfall | England | Littlebeck-Whitby (North Yorkshire) | 10 m | 10 | 2.5 | |
| Gordale Scar waterfall | England | Malham | 7-40 m | 7 | 2.5 | |
| Hardraw force | England | Hardraw, Yorkshire Dales | 30 m | 30 | 2.5 | |
| High Force | England | Middleton-in-Teesdale | 22 m | 22 | 2.5 | |
| Scale force | England | Buttermere-Cumbria | 50-56 m | 50 | 2.5 | |
| Spout Force | England | High Lorton | 10-12 m | 10 | 2.5 | |
| Whitelady waterfall | England | Lydford, Dartmoor (Devon) | 28 m | 28 | 2.5 | |
| Canonteign falls | England | Lower Ashton/Trusham-Exeter | 66 m | 66 | 2 | |
| Cauldron Snout | England | Durham_Teesdale | 61 m | 61 | 2 | |
| Janet’s Foss | England | Malham | 6 m | 6 | 2 | |
| Mallyan Spout | England | Goathland/North Yorkshire | 21 m | 21 | 2 | |
| Stock Ghyll Force | England | Ambleside-Ullswater/Cumbria | 21 m | 21 | 2 | |
| Cautley Spout | England | Sedbergh (Cumbria) | 198 m | 198 | 1.5 | |
| Colwith Force | England | Ambleside-Skelwith Bridge (Cumbria) | 12 m | 12 | 1.5 | |
| Richmond falls | England | Richmond-Yorkshire | 2-5 m | 2 | 1.5 | |
| Taylor Gill Force | England | Borrowdale-Keswick (Cumbria) | 42 m | 42 | 1.5 | |
| Lodore falls | England | Derwentwater-Borrowdale (Cumbria) | 28 m | 28 | 1 |
Most likely the highest waterfalls in the United Kingdom should be in Scotland because there are the highest mountains. And that is wright: the highest waterfalls of the United Kingdom is located in Scotland and is probably Eas an t Strutha Ghil waterfall with a total height of 290 meters. Often Eas a’ Chual Aluinn waterfall is mentioned as the highest waterfall of Scotland, but Eas a’ Chual Aluinn is 200 meters high. Both waterfalls are official named waterfalls (on maps) and are located opposite of each other.
The highest waterfall in Wales is probably Maesglase waterfall, near Mawddwy, with a total height of 160 meters. Often Pistyll-y-Llyn is mentioned as the highest waterfall in Wales with a single drop of 91 meters and a total height of 160 meters. The most beautiful waterfalls in Wales can be found in Snowdonia National Park.
The highest peaks in England are situated in Lake district national park in the northwest of England. Highest peak is the Scafell Pike with a height of 978 meters.
The highest waterfall in England is probably Cautley spout with a total height of 198 meters.
Northern Ireland is maybe not the mountainous are of the United Kingdom, but still there are mountain peaks of 650-800 meters.
Most of the United Kingdom is made up of gently rolling hills with isolated areas of high ground such as Dartmoor in the south-west of England or the Mourne Mountains in Northern Ireland.
Biggest waterfalls by volume in the UK
The biggest waterfalls in the United Kingdom by volume is more difficult to determine. At the moment it needs more research to find out which waterfalls are powerful enough to be called one of the biggest waterfalls in the UK.
Highest waterfalls in the UK
- Eas an t Strutha Ghil (290 meter) – Scotland
- Eas a’ Chual Aluinn (201 meter) – Scotland
- Cautley Spout (198 meter) – England (Cumbria)
Always hard to say what is the highest waterfall. Where does the waterfall start or end, must the waterfall flow the whole year around? There is one thing for sure, the highest waterfall of the UK is located in Scotland. There is a waterfall called Eas an t Strutha Ghil with a total height of 290 meter. It isn’t a very impressive waterfall and has most of the time a low volume. On the opposite of the valley there is another waterfall, known on the Internet, as highest waterfall of the UK and that is Eas a’ Chual Aluinn with a height of 201 meter. A good number three highest waterfall in the UK is Cautley Spout, a waterfall in Cumbria (England) that cascades down the mountain over 198 meter.
If you think otherwise, please send me an e-mail.
Most beautiful waterfalls in the UK
I know this is subject to a private opinion but most people will agree that the waterfalls I rated high (beautiful waterfalls) certainly are in a way beautiful.
There are a few waterfalls I visited, in the summer of 2023, that are of a great beauty: How about the famous Ingleton Waterfalls in the Yorkshire Dales (England). It rained when we walked the Ingleton waterfall trail along four massive waterfalls, and they where all incredibly powerful.
Another waterfall that surprised me was the Aber falls (Rhaeadr Fawr). Also a waterfall I visited when it rained the days before. It was so unbelievable powerful, something that is hard to capture on a photo. But I liked all waterfalls in Wales. They where all very powerful and the landscape is gorgeous. I think my favorite region in the UK is north Wales, a must to visit!