The second chamber is much smaller than the main chamber, but still very impressive. There is Smoo Hotel or if you are camping, you can stay at Sango Sands. I’m always hearing of new places once I get home too. With beautiful scenery and lots of legends, Smoo Cave is a captivating place to visit. “On this particular occasion on which Donald Mackay was employed by them, the Smoo Burn was in high flood, and on pushing off from the anchorage inside the second chamber of the cave, Mackay observed that the two gaugcrs were literally terrified, as he rowed them into the spray of the waterfall inside it.”. Therefore, I recommend hiring a car if you can. From the UK, I was bitten by the travel bug during a round the world trip in my early twenties. I always feel like i’ve learnt something new whenever I read one of of your articles. Visited Smoo cave, while driving the northern most section of the North Coast 500. If you purchase anything I will then receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Smoo Cave boundary formed between the light grey … Strange tales from 6 sacred stone sites of Scotland, Glasgow to create new £11.9m film and TV studio at historic Kelvin Hall. As the Devil tried to follow the dog to cause some mischief the sun rose, leaving the Devil powerless. Smoo Cave: Smoo do you think you are - See 1,119 traveller reviews, 1,056 candid photos, and great deals for Durness, UK, at Tripadvisor. Reasons To Visit Mexico – And Get Out Of The Resort, Things To Do In England – Must Have Experiences, How To Cope With Your Periods When Travelling, Mexico Travel Tips – What You Should Know, Best Places To Visit In Mexico That You’ve Never Heard Of. The cave is a scheduled Scottish monument and consent had to given by Historic Scotland. MacKay was employed by the officials and was meant to helo them search. What a mysterious and fun sounding place! Archaeologists created a picture of high activity, with a peg carved from antler, a bone spatula and a broken bone needle, with a perforated round head - which may have been used to make and repair fishing nets - discovered. Natpacker is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Programme, AWIN and other affiliate sites. Please assume that any link that you click is an affiliate link. Yesterday. Durnessis the car park for Smoo Cave. Though the cave will go much further back as the stream is here at all times. At the top, you can walk over the cave, which allows you to see over the blowhole. Guided geological tours of Smoo Cave, part of which are undertaken by boat, are run over the summer months. Personally, I have not done this walk, but you can find details here. The rain had been heavy so the water was rushing through the cave as we entered. As such, I earn from qualifying purchases. I really need to plan some more trips to Scotland. "Smoo" is a name thought to derive from the Old Norse Smugawhich means "hiding place" and the name is applied to this end of the village and to the river, the Allt Smoo, which disappears into a sinkhole on the inland side of the A838 a short distance from the car park, as well as to Smoo Cave itself. Unfortunately, there was no guide available on that day, which would have added insight into the history of the cave. Naturally, the cave was likely used by smugglers in the past. If you plan on visiting Smoo Cave, you can find nearby hostels on HostelWorld. Railed stair wslkwsy down to the cave and a railed walkway up the hill away from the cave which leadx to a viewpoint or back to the car park. An affiliate link will use a cookie to track any sales on the website that you are directed to. There are steps leading down to the cave that can be accessed all year. Sir Walter Scott visited Smoo Cave in 1814, who wrote about it in his diary and brought the cave to public attention. While proving to be a safe harbour from the pounding North Sea, Smoo Cave has also inspired some rather romantic responses, such as an 1814 diary entry from Sir Walter Scott, who visited on September 19 that year. The easiest way to get to the caves is to drive. The name Smoo Cave is likely to have come from the Norse ‘smjugg’ or ‘smuga’ meaning a hole or hiding-place. Smoo Cave is on the A838, as well as being on the North Coast 500 route. It is thought they dated from Mesolithic Period, or the Stone Age, when the earliest human inhabitants arrived in the Highlands between 8,000BC and 4,000BC. You can read about my visit to Smoo Cave in this post. New Dig at Smoo Cave In September 2012 we finally got permission to attempt to find a new cave inside the main chamber after submitting an archaeological report (click here to view). As Smoo Cave is out in the highlands, it is not the easiest place to get to. If you’re exploring the Scottish Highlands it is definitely not to be missed. There is also a circular walking path from here. Visible archaeological deposits are confined to the main cave and consist of a midden covering much of the E portion of the cave; this is at least 17m long and a maximum of 8m wide. Getting to Smoo Cave via public transport is tricky, as buses are scarce in the highlands. I had no idea this place existed but it sounds pretty awesome. Love the photos, the caves looks awesome. Looking Out Across Gaeodha Smoo From Smoo Cave. Reviews given are unbiased and honest, all views are still my own I will only recommend products and companies that I truly believe in. Free car park next to the cave. Some articles contain sponsored content; where I have accepted such content, received an item free of charge to review or been hosted on a trip, this has been stated in the article. The cave boasts one of the largest entrances to any sea cave … The cave was formed along the boundary between two types of rock, the Sangomore Formation and the Sailmhor Formation. More deaths occurred later in the century, when two Inland Revenue officers were drowned in the second chamber’s thunderous waterfall. The residents of nearby Durness lured a clan of marauders into the cave and slaughtered them to a man. Old stories state that the gateway to the faerie world is found inside this cave, guarded by spirits. Many local legends surround the cave, including one of highway man McMurdo who patrolled this far flung corner of the north during the 1500s. Don’t forget to follow me on social media to keep up to date with my recent posts, adventures and thoughts. The below links will take you to travel resources that I recommend. A number of marine shells, including oysters and limpets and animal bones, including deer, suggest the diet of the day. 1:58. The residents of nearby Durness lured a clan of 18 marauders into the cave and slaughtered them to a man. Hi! Smoo cave is part of the Durness Group, and so was formed in the Early Ordovician dolomites. We ascended the steps to the other side of the cave and took a walk along the top of the stunning cliffs. Smoo Cave, at Durness in Sutherland, is the largest coastline cave in the British Isles and has provided shelter for thousands of years. Wildlife, poisonous trees, ruins and Mayan culture in the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve. The peaty waters of the Allt Smoo flow off the moors, tranquil until they vanish into the darkness of a gaping sink hole. But it is possible. 1:07. Since then I have been determined to see as much of this world as possible. Please see the privacy policy for more details. One Legend States That The Blow Hole Was Created By The Devil. Any dead bodies are disposed of in the local dunes where archaeologists accept bungs to write them up as Pictish or Viking burial sites. Smoo cave is part of the Durness Group, and so was formed in the Early Ordovician dolomites. | Privacy Policy | HTML Sitemap | XML Sitemap, November 25th, 2020 (Published: August 27, 2020). We had a lovely walk down the steps and into the cave. In this chamber, there is a waterfall of about 25m and some eerie rock formations. Using 3-D imaging technology, archaeologists have mapped Scotland's "Cave … Smoo has a deep sink hole and underground waterfalls, The deeper the archaeologists went, the older the remains with butchered bones and small flakes of quartz discovered in the midden’s base. This dramatic and spectacular sea cave is set into the limestone cliffs in Sutherland. Visited ghe cave as a party of 6 with 2 younger children. Lairg Tourism; Lairg Hotels; Lairg Bed and Breakfast; Lairg Vacation Packages; Flights to Lairg; Lairg Restaurants; Things to Do in Lairg; Lairg Travel Forum From the car park, there are some wooden steps that lead down to the main cavern. There is also a path that leads you over the cliffs next to Smoo Cave, from here the sea views are incredible, so it’s well worth heading out here too. Thought seawater rarely enters the cave anymore, due to the area undergoing an isostatic uplift. “A water kelpie or an evil spirit of aquatic propensities could not have chosen a fitter abode and to say the truth I believe at our first entrance and all our feelings were afloat at the marvelling of the scene the unexpected splashing of a seal would have routed the whole dozen of us. Smoo caves are unusual, as there is freshwater and saltwater in the caverns. I’ve been all around Scotland but have never heard of smoo cave! Above the cave, on the cliffs, there is also a blowhole. The Devil then threw a dickie-fit and blasted his way through the roof of the cave, which is how the blowhole was created. I’ve never heard of this place but I will put it on my bucket list. This will be a very long day if you do this, and you will end up with only an hour at the cave. McMurdo murdered his victims by throwing them down the blowhole into the cave with the highwayman buried in a tomb at nearby Balnakeil Church. It is both a freshwater and sea cave, which has been formed along two geological lines of weakness. Entrance of Smoo Cave, large combined sea and freshwater cave in Durness, Sutherland, Scottish Highlands, Scotland, UK. Great post. The cave was formed within Early Ordovician Dolostones of the Durness Limestone Group. All that means is that if you go via these links and then buy something, I receive a tiny commission at no extra cost to you. So many places to visit with loads of history and legends! Smoo Cave is unusual in having been formed by the action of both fresh water and the sea. The caves are beautiful, as are the sea views, and so worth a stop if you are exploring the Scottish Highlands. Smoo Cave is a large combined sea cave and freshwater cave in Durness in Sutherland, Highland, Scotland. 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. Smoo caves are the result of erosion from the sea and an underground stream, making it unique in the UK. ©JPIMedia Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved. If you want to stay nearby, you can stay in Durness, or there are options closer. To get to the cave from Inverness, catch the bus to Durness. With a moody, restless dusk falling, I descend into the jagged, fern-bearded mouth of Smoo Cave, a Tolkienesque venue by name and nature: you expect to be asked a riddle to gain entrance, or stumble across a mossy pile of treasure in the gloom. It is believed to have been a Stone Age home more than 5,000 years ago with Norse settlers later gathering here to repair boats and fish for herring. There is one a day which is run by D&E coaches. We spent about an hour, at the cave. Norse settlements have been found in Caithness, including Dunnet Bay, around 46 miles away with only a burial site recorded nearby. You always have the most off-beat and interesting posts. As the dog came back terrified it is certain that the devil can be found in the cave. Visited Smoo cave, while driving the northern most section of the North Coast 500. Once you have finished visiting the chambers, you can either go back to the car park the way you came or climb the path on the other side of Smoo Cave. I’m Nat, the backpacker behind natpacker. 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. 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