Smoo Cave in the far northern Highlands is arguably one of – if not the – most impressive natural wonders in Scotland.. Caverns & Caves. Smoo Cave was formed within Early Ordovician dolomites of the Durness Group (also known as the Durness Limestone). Learn how to create your own. The ground level in the cave has risen over the years and the sea tide has altered course. Choisissez parmi des contenus premium Smoo Cave de la plus haute qualité. Smoo Cave. Smoo Cave tour, Durness, Scotland. The cave entrance and main chamber have been considerably enlarged by sea action to approximately 40 metres (130 ft) wide and 15 metres (49 ft) high, the largest sea cave entrance in Britain. is found at the base of a cliff section where the river splits into left & right parts (left hand wall of the right hand steam valley). SMOO CAVE HOTEL. And indeed, quite fittingly, a pothole in the third chamber leads no one knows where. Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}58°33′47″N 4°43′12″W / 58.56306°N 4.72000°W / 58.56306; -4.72000, "Smoo" redirects here. Much of the cave is characterised by sharp flakes and chert nodules, hence knee/elbow pads come highly, highly recommended! This is a cave that’s absolutely monumental in size, and the cave entrance has the privilege of being the largest sea cave entrance in Britain – something you’ll only really appreciate once you visit the place. Europe ; United Kingdom (UK) Scotland ; Scottish Highlands ; Caithness and Sutherland ; Durness ; Things to Do in Durness ; Smoo Cave; Search. Smoo Cave est située au nord-ouest de Sangobeg. Unfortunately, there was no guide available on that day, which would have added insight into the history of the cave. Date of experience: October 2019. A river runs through the upper part of the cave in wet weather and makes the lower passages somewhat more 'entertaining'. Book your tickets online for Smoo Cave, Durness: See 1,119 reviews, articles, and 1,056 photos of Smoo Cave, ranked No.5 on Tripadvisor among 19 attractions in Durness. 1,119 Reviews #5 of 19 things to do in Durness. Smoo Cave, Durness: Hours, Address, Smoo Cave Reviews: 4.5/5. Smoo Cave is a large combined sea cave and freshwater cave in Durness in Sutherland, Highland, Scotland. The Sailmhor is characterised by an odd mottled appearance which gives it the informal name of 'Leopard Rock' and pebbles of it (sourced from the Geodha Smoo cliffs) litter the entrance to Smoo Cave. Smoo Cave. *Beware as if the rock in the entrance is too slippery then you may have difficulty getting back out the cave. Please note that these don't have anywhere the same ease of access as Smoo Cave and that most are only suited for experienced cavers: Elephant Cave. Still a great stop off, superb views from the cliff tops, around the cave & the cave's waterfall is great to see aswell. 1,119 Reviews #5 of 19 things to do in Durness. Weg zum Allt Smoo – Smoo cave Circuit à partir de Smoo Cave Hotel Road - niveau randonnée - Facile. Directions to Smoo Cave Hotel . 1,119 Reviews #5 of 19 things to do in Durness. This map was created by a user. SMOO CAVE Durness Royaume-Uni Voir sur la carte +44 1971 511 492; Informations et horaires sur SMOO CAVE. Caverns & Caves. Rome2rio is a door-to-door travel information and booking engine, helping you get to and from any location in the world. These horizons close to the formation boundary are characterised by large and abundant chert nodules which can be found all along the inner stream chamber where they have been left behind after dissolution of the surrounding dolomite. Smoo Cave Scottish Highlands. Smoo Cave. Still a great stop off, superb views from Helpful. We enjoyed our little stroll down to Smoo Cave, and were surprised to see a gushing waterfall inside. It is a dramatic location and on the only primary road in the area, the A838 Durness to Tongue. Visited Smoo cave, while driving the northern most section of the North Coast 500. Caverns & Caves. Rating. The cave boasts one of the largest entrances to any sea cave in Britain at 50 ft high and is floodlit inside. Legend has it that Smoo Cave is a gateway to the Otherworld – or into the faery realm – and that it's guarded by spirits. Smoo Cave. Upstream of the Allt Smoo which runs into the cave, impermeable quartzites have been faulted against the Durness Limestone, causing the stream to sink down into the carbonate rock soon after it has crossed the contact between the two different rock types. Smoo Cave is a stunning sea cave that is set into the cliffs in Durness in suthereland, This is a mus visit if you are doing the North Coast 500 tourist around the north coast. Trouvez les Smoo Cave images et les photos d’actualités parfaites sur Getty Images. The cave travels further however as an active stream of notable size resurges here at all times. Guided tours for small groups are conducted from April to October, but the tours are weather dependent as heavy rainfall can cause flooding in the caves. The cave is unique within the UK[citation needed] in that the first chamber has been formed by the action of the sea, whereas the inner chambers are freshwater passages, formed from rainwater dissolving the carbonate dolomites. Smoo Cave. The cave has formed along the boundary between the light grey Sangomore Formation and the dark grey, mottled Sailmhor Formation (sometimes called Leopard Rock), both of which form part of the Durness Group succession. Road End ... Scores are calculated based on data from Google Maps and Google reviews. Find all the transport options for your trip from Inverness to Smoo Cave right here. Another short cave with another tight entrance can be found diagonally opposite this in the southern bank of the surface streambed. The process is continuing and eventually Smoo Cave will collapse and the sea inlet will advance a little further inland. Smoo Cave: impressionnant - consultez 1 114 avis de voyageurs, 1 040 photos, les meilleures offres et comparez les prix pour Durness, UK sur Tripadvisor. Divers have only ever explored the first 40m of it because a fine, peaty silt quickly reduces visibility to zero. Unfortunately, there was no guide available on that day, which would have added insight into the history of the cave. IG - @thebeverleybunch . Louer une voiture. Smoo Cave is formed within Early Ordovician dolostones of the Durness Group (also known as the Durness Limestone). Smoo Cave came to public notice after Sir Walter Scott featured it in an account of the cruise around northern Scotland he undertook in 1814. Smoo Cave sur le site Mapcarta, la carte libre. bunny91chris wrote a review Dec 2019. Smoo Cave, Écosse, est une caverne. Visites 7j/7 de 11h à 16h en avril, mai et septembre et de 10h à 17h de juin à août. Read more. I think our favourite thing was actually the little walkway/hut inside the cave that leads to the waterfall. The Smoo Cave Hotel [postcode: IV27 4QB] is situated in the East of Durness, just off the A838 at Lerinmore. The cave can be thought of as two caves formed by different mechanisms which have joined together over time. Explore Smoo Cave, a massive sea cave, and then head inland on a moorland track for a pleasant, fairly flat circuit, with a short section along a minor road with pavement. Worth a quick visit if you're in the area. Vous êtes le responsable de ce lieu, cliquez ici. The cave complex is therefore protected as a scheduled monument.[1]. We spent about an hour, at the cave. Plans are being considered for access improvements for the estimated 40,000 visitors it receives annually. Vol pas cher. Adulte : £6, enfant : £3. We spent about an hour, at the cave. Partway through the cave the waters of Allt Smoo also drop in as a 20 metres (66 ft) high waterfall. Lairg IV27 4QB, United Kingdom Directions. Visited Smoo cave, while driving the northern most section of the North Coast 500. Smoo Cave from Mapcarta, the free map. Smoo Cave was formed within Early Ordovician dolomites of the Durness Group (also known as the Durness Limestone). Terrain. Steps to Smoo Cave then gravel track, and road with pavement. Smoo Cave has formed at the boundary of two of these formations; the pale grey dolostones of the 'Sangomore Formation' and the underlying, darker dolostones of the 'Sailmhor Formation'. Smoo Cave Bus 8 min. Préparez votre voyage ! Set into limestone cliffs, Smoo Cave is quite large – 200 feet long, 130 feet wide, and 50 feet high at the entrance. Smoo Cave, Durness: See 1,119 reviews, articles, and 1,056 photos of Smoo Cave, ranked No.5 on Tripadvisor among 19 attractions in Durness. It is now a fixture on the itinerary of just about every visitor to northern Sutherland which means, of course, that the car park can become a little busy at times. This sporting cave consists of an inclined entrance slope that leads into a low but wide and inclined boulder-floored 'chamber', with a further ~5m drop through boulders revealing an extensive stream section that varies from 'comfortable walking' to 'hands and knees' size. The cave has formed along the boundary between the light grey Sangomore Formation and the dark grey, mottled Sailmhor Formation (sometimes called Leopard Rock), both of … We spent about an hour, at the cave. Below are some descriptions of some other selected 'limestone' caves to be found in the Durness area (locations on map at base of page). Europe ; United Kingdom (UK) Scotland ; Scottish Highlands ; Caithness and Sutherland ; Durness ; Things to do in Durness ; Smoo Cave; Search . Tel: +44 1971 511 227 Mob: +44 7709 441 620. info@smoocavehotel.co.uk . Smoo Cave is located in Durness, within the Sutherland region of North West Scotland. Lerin Durness Sutherland IV27 4QB Scottish Highlands. The entrance is located at the end of a 600 metres (660 yd) long tidal gorge (Geodha Smoo) which was once part of the cave, now collapsed. Caverns & Caves. The cave is liberally endowed with stalactite / flowstone / gour formations (especially the rear section hidden beyond a low flat-out crawl at the back of the pebbly beach) and is well worth a visit for those able to do so safely. Voir ce Tour et d'autres similaires, ou planifiez le vôtre avec komoot ! 1,119 Reviews #5 of 19 things to do in Durness. smoocavetours.weebly.com Smoo Cave is a large combined sea cave and freshwater cave in Durness in Sutherland, Highland, Scotland. Smoo Cave Hotel, Durness : consultez 459 avis sur Smoo Cave Hotel, noté 4 sur 5 sur Tripadvisor et classé #1 sur 6 restaurants à Durness. Smoo Cave, Durness: Hours, Address, Smoo Cave Reviews: 4.5/5. Share. The cave has formed along the boundary between the light grey Sangomore Formation and the dark grey, mottled Sailmhor Formation (sometimes called Leopard Rock), both of which form part of the Durness Group succession. Traversée Maritime. These lead into a very narrow rift that goes on through water for ~10 metres before becoming too tight. The sea rarely enters the sea cave nowadays (only during spring tides) as the area has undergone isostatic uplift. Smoo Cave and Bhlar Duibhe. Unfortunately, there was no guide available on that day, which would have added insight into the history of the cave. The Location is remote but easily accessible and well worth the effort, Durness itself lies on the most northern coast the North Coast 500 in the Scottish Highlands. 1. The cave name is thought to originate from the Norse 'smjugg' or 'smuga', meaning a hole or hiding-place. The cave is located 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) east of the village of Durness and is presently served by a car park, toilets, stairs and walkways. The cave is composed of three main sections: a large sea cave entrance chamber, a waterfall chamber and a short freshwater passage which leads to a terminal sump chamber with some flowstone formations at the rear. Smoo Cave is located at the eastern edge of the village of Durness, on Scotland’s most northerly coastline. Visited Smoo cave, while driving the northern most section of the North Coast 500. It can be reached either by abseiling into the roof by way of a collapse on the cliff tops or by a short swim up a geo at low tide or, with care, by boat. Smoo Cave is a large combined sea cave and freshwater cave in Durness in Sutherland, Highland, Scotland. Knee pads are recommended due to the numerous small nodules of chert and differentially dissolved fossil burrows that protrude from the rocky floor like 'coral' (although there is sand cover in places). Dating potentially as far back as the Mesolithic period legends include that it was used by the devil for his mischief making, utilised as a death trap by highwayman Donald McMurdo and, naturally, a base for smuggling operations. The cave was formed along two geological lines of weakness by a combination of erosion from the sea and an inland underground stream which has formed the innermost chambers. The present-day cave is 83 metres (272 ft) long up to the terminal sump at the rear of the third chamber / passage. Several remnant pillars can be seen along the eastern side of the Geodh along with a large section of the previous roof which has been partly buried by the grassy slope (normally covered by rocks spelling out the names of visitors to the cave). Cave divers from the Grampian Speleological Group have dived this sump for a distance of about 40 metres (130 ft), although large volumes of silt and peat in the water have prevented further exploration. transports . By Plane Option 1 - to Inverness Airport and then by road Option 2 - to Wick Airport and then by road . For the fictional planet, see, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Smoo Cave,prehistoric occupation site (SM5482)", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Smoo_Cave&oldid=991361000, Sites of Special Scientific Interest in North West Sutherland, Protected areas of Highland (council area), Articles lacking in-text citations from July 2009, Articles with unsourced statements from September 2018, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 29 November 2020, at 17:30. Below are some descriptions of some other selected 'limestone' caves to be found in the Durness area (locations on map at base of page). Situated around a mile to the east of the town of Durness, the cave can be explored by boat or by the path from the car park on the cliffs. Still a great stop off, superb views from the cliff tops, around the cave & the cave's waterfall is great to see aswell. ​Along the separate left hand valley and beyond Uamh nan Clachan Dubhan, a double opening on the north bank of the streambed is known as 'the Nostrils'. This is mainly due to the nearby dolomite - quartzite geological boundary where the Allt Smoo stream crosses the impermeable quartzites and sinks on meeting the permeable dolomites. Please note that these don't have anywhere the same ease of access as Smoo Cave and that most are only suited for experienced cavers: Accessing the site requires a cautious scramble grade climb (as defined by the Scottish Mountaineering Club) down a  steep rocky slope from the grassy cliff top. This interesting sea cave lies in the cliffs on the southern side of Balnakeil Bay near Durness. About Smoo Cave. 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