Steall Gorge Appeal
Donate to our Steall Gorge Appeal
Help us raise £75,000 to repair the Steall Gorge path and explore the future of the 40-year-old wooden bridge in upper Glen Nevis.
As with all mountain paths, the Steall Gorge path is vulnerable to erosion. Left unchecked, paths widen, vegetation is lost, and the fragile habitats that make this place so special begin to disappear.
Your support will help protect natural processes, restore fragile habitats and care for one of Scotland’s most treasured wild places – ensuring people can continue to experience its beauty without compromising its wild character.
Every journey begins with a first step
Beneath the towering slopes of Ben Nevis, a narrow path winds through native woodland. The trail follows the dramatic Steall Gorge, before opening into the breathtaking Steall Meadow, where Steall Falls (An Steall Bàn) – Scotland’s second-highest waterfall – plunges more than 100 metres into the glen below.
Each year, around 60,000 people experience this wild place. We need your help to take the next step to help make sure those footprints don’t become lasting scars on the landscape.
Every footstep leaves an impact
Looking after Steall isn’t about making it easier to explore. It’s about helping people experience it without changing what makes it wild.
A carefully designed path keeps visitors on a single route, reducing pressure on surrounding habitats and giving nature the space it needs to recover and thrive. Working in such a remote location brings its own challenges. Every stone, timber and tool must be carefully transported into the glen, sometimes by helicopter, to carry out essential work with minimal disturbance to the landscape.
Every year...
167,000+ people climb Ben Nevis; 60,000 people explore Steall Gorge; 9 km of footpaths are maintained
With your help we will:
- Protect fragile habitats from erosion and damage.
- Repair vulnerable sections of the Steall Gorge path.
- Explore the future of the ageing wooden bridge.
- Reduce pressure on sensitive wildlife and habitats.
Steph McKenna, Nevis Manager:
“Every day I see people arrive at Steall in search of adventure and leave with a real sense of wonder. Our responsibility is to make sure that, while those footsteps come and go, the landscape itself remains as wild as ever. That’s why this work matters.”
Donate to our Steall Gorge Appeal
Help us raise £75,000 to repair the Steall Gorge path and explore the future of the 40-year-old wooden bridge in upper Glen Nevis.
Every step we take is for wild places
Looking after Steall means much more than repairing paths. Every year our team works to: maintain sustainable paths; restore peatland; encourage native woodland to regenerate; carry out habitat and species monitoring; reduce grazing pressure; remove litter; lead volunteer conservation days; and inspire the next generation through partnerships with the University of the Highlands and Islands.
Everything we do puts natural processes first, and helps people experience these remarkable places responsibly.
More than a path
The Steall Gorge footpath is far more than a route to Britain’s second tallest waterfall; it is a journey through one of the country’s richest and most spectacular landscapes.
Ancient Atlantic rainforest clings to the sides of the gorge and Aonach Beag rises above, while recovering native woodland, rare lichens and peatland provide a home for wildlife found in few other places.
The river Nevis rushes below, carving its way through the gorge shaped over thousands of years; golden eagles soar overhead. Pine martens move silently through the trees; mountain ringlet butterflies depend on the fragile habitats to survive.
Will you take the next step and help steward and protect this remarkable wild place for generations to come?
Donate to our Steall Gorge Appeal
Help us raise £75,000 to repair the Steall Gorge path and explore the future of the 40-year-old wooden bridge in upper Glen Nevis.