The Glen Finglas reservoir spills over the dam into a stunning cascading waterfall. It isn’t a long walk, so don’t go expecting to be here all day, but there is loads to do in this area, and even within Glen Finglas itself. Plan a few stops and turn it into a lovely wee daytrip!

Glen Finglas is about 20 minutes north of Aberfoyle over the Duke’s Pass. Park in the car park for the dam and it’s only maybe a 10 minute walk through the gate on the left to get to the dam itself. You can stand right next to it on the viewing platforms at the bottom. I could’ve watched that water cascading down the dam wall for hours. Spectacular!

You can get to the top of the dam on both sides. Head up the paved road & along the top wall of the dam with views out over the reservoir & down river. Across the bridge on the other side of the dam are a set of steps taking you up to the top, right next to where the water cascades over the top of the dam in that infinity pool-esque way.

This isn’t a long walk, but there’s plenty of exploring to do. You can also head up the hill for a longer walk along the reservoir. There are loads of tiny waterfalls along this path that the kids enjoyed having a splash in too.

It’s definitely not an all day trip so you could combo it up with a visit to nearby places like Little Druim Woods, Loch Katrine, Aberfoyle, Queen Elizabeth Forest Park or the 3 Lochs Drive. There’s an absolute ton of stuff to do in this area!

The Cost

Glen Finglas is totally free to visit.

The Logistics

  • Mostly suitable for buggies. (You can get along the path to the dam though it is muddy, up the paved roads to the top of the dam and up the other road to the reservoir. There are some steps at one side that you won’t get a buggy up though).
  • Good for dogs.
  • Small car park at start of walk. Click here for pin on google maps to car park. More parking available at Glen Finglas Visitor Centre and then the reservoir is about a 40 minute walk from there. (Turn left when you reach the reservoir and you’ll get to the
  • There isn’t really any easy way to get here by public transport. There are no bus stops within 5 miles of Glen Finglas woodland, and there is no train station anywhere nearby.

The Verdict

Watching the water spill over the Glen Finglas dam is absolutely mesmerising. It’s probably the prettiest dam we’ve come across in our adventures so far and for me it was well worth the trip to go see it from Glasgow. The kids really enjoyed it too – was something a little different from our usual Sunday strolls. There is so much to do within half an hour of the dam and reservoir too, so plenty to fill up a daytrip even if this doesn’t take too much time!