The Mystical Smoo Cave Of Scotland
Updated: 07/01/2018 | July 1st, 2018
I want I could live everywhere, but until they perfect cloning technology, there’s alone 1 of me traveling this large world. I right away innovation on having regular invitee writers on the website to highlight places I haven’t been yet… places nosotros tin together dream of visiting someday. This calendar month my friend Alex Berger talks close northern Scotland in addition to shares the storey of Smoo Cave. It’s beautifully written. Enjoy!
Perched atop the worn limestone cliffs at the oral cavity of the Geodha Smoo inlet, I casually brushed the toe of my walking kick across the soft, muted regal heather blossoms. I had arrived inwards the sleepy Scottish town of Durness a few minutes before in addition to made the 10-minute walk along the border of the inlet, hoping to select handgrip of 1 of Scotland’s mystical sunsets. The audio of crashing waves waging their perpetual state of war against the coastline echoed inwards my ears equally I permit the build clean smell of heather, tabular array salt spray, in addition to seaweed fill upwards my lungs.
My arrival inwards Durness marked the culmination of a long day’s drive upwards the northwestern coast of Scotland. The sleepy lilliputian hamlet of 400 stands beside 1 of Scotland’s most unique natural wonders. Situated at the halt of Geodha Smoo, a mid-length inlet carved past times the ocean, wind, in addition to a modest stream, Smoo Cave resembles a dragon’s opened upwards maw carved into the side of the surrounding stone cliff face.
What makes the cave unique inwards the U.K. is its geographic qualities. The sprawling outer sleeping accommodation has been carved over the ages past times the sea, piece a serial of internal caverns in addition to tunnels accept been etched out past times the 2 freshwater streams that thread their mode through the cave. The starting fourth dimension of these 2 streams bubbles upwards through a submerged puddle situated at the terminus of the deepest accessible purpose of the cave. The 2nd comes from the waters of the Allt Smoo, a flow (or raging torrent, depending on the rains) that winds across the Scottish countryside before of a abrupt crashing lxxx feet through a hole inwards the stone ceiling in addition to downward into Smoo Cave’s 2nd largest cavern.
There the waters bring together amongst those that accept wandered their mode out from beneath the bedrock to connect inwards a deep pool. Only partially lit past times modest wall lamps in addition to the faint lite streaming inwards through the hole inwards the roof, the nighttime waters are largely yet except for the periodic swirl of a fish’s fin, the gentle mist of the waterfall, in addition to the soft ripple of an inflatable raft equally it ferries visitors deeper into the catch of the cave.
On my previous see to Smoo the rains had turned the modest Allt Smoo into a raging river, making it impossible to pass to a greater extent than than the briefest of moments on the wooden platform raised at the halt of the modest tunnel that connects the cave’s grand oral cavity in addition to the flooded depths of the 2nd chamber. This time, equally I slow walked beneath the moss-covered ceiling of the grand chamber, I hoped I would accept the risk to explore the cave’s depths.
The Portal
With most of the tourists having left for supper, I institute myself standing lonely inwards the middle of the primary chamber. With a skylight inwards the ceiling carved past times the Allt Smoo before it institute an easier road into the chamber, the cave ceiling arcs overhead amongst to a greater extent than than xl feet of clearance. The dorsum of the cave is covered inwards dark-green moss in addition to modest plants, piece a perfectly lit, otherworldly crevasse glows equally though an emerald gateway to some other reason has opened.
For those familiar amongst the epic of Beowulf, it is piece of cake to envision the early on Norse explorers, who archaeologists tell 1 time made campsite inwards the cave, huddled merely about a campfire telling stories of sea witches in addition to cave trolls. For others who may accept dreamed of similar seaside caves, it is piece of cake for the heed to wander amongst flights of fantasy in addition to dreams conduct from Arthurian legend. It seems likely, given that the archaeological tape for the cave shows signs of habitation stretching dorsum to a greater extent than than 4,000 years to the Neolithic Era, that the cave was inspiring travelers fifty-fifty piece the pharaohs raised the corking pyramids inwards ancient Egypt.
I relished the minute in addition to paused within the 2nd sleeping accommodation for several photographs before returning to the hostel. If the conditions cooperated, the next morning time promised adventure in addition to the chance to delve into Smoo’s deepest depths.
Exploring the Cave
To my please morning time arrived amongst alone the lightest of Scottish showers. I apace made my mode downward to the grand entrance inwards the primary cavern, paid a couplet of pounds for the tour, in addition to was fitted for a hardhat. I joined the others, in addition to nosotros were instructed to caput into the 2nd sleeping accommodation where an inflatable river raft was fix merely beneath the wooden viewing platform. After a brief wait, our guide arrived in addition to ushered us carefully downward a vertical ladder in addition to into the boat. He was a crusty former Scotsman who evidently had a deep human relationship amongst the cave in addition to had been giving tours for years. After obeying a few barked orders, nosotros ducked our heads in addition to pressed ourselves against the bottom of the raft equally he pulled us out from beneath the low-hanging dock in addition to along the border of the 2nd cavern.
Soon, nosotros institute ourselves past times the outer edges of the falls equally he explained how the waterfall came to live in addition to the history of the cave. After a brief suspension he tossed a few pieces of crumbled breadstuff over the border of the boat. As shortly equally it hitting water, our eyes widened equally a modest regular army of invisible fish tore the breadstuff asunder in addition to and then returned to the depths of the dark waters.
With a gritty chuckle, a push, in addition to a ascendance to heed our heads, our guide used 2 ropes to force us across the sleeping accommodation in addition to beneath a low-hanging arch amongst merely plenty clearance for the boat. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 helmet scraped gently on the rocks overhead equally nosotros guided the boat beneath the arch in addition to into a modest chamber. There, our guide hopped out in addition to led us carefully onto wooden boards haphazardly sitting inwards the midst of a modest stream.
Deep inwards Smoo Cave
The tunnel that stretched out before us was roughly the meridian of a tall man. The walls looked every chip similar a fossilized seabed, reflecting their ancient past.
Careful to heed our footing, nosotros followed our guide along the raised boards deeper into the cave. The journeying wasn’t long but served to add together to the feeling of otherworldliness. Each footstep took us farther along what felt similar a mixture of an surreptitious river in addition to the type of ancient mine our ancestors powerfulness accept carved out 100 generations ago.
The tunnel dead-ends abruptly. The walls of the cave flair slightly in addition to and then converge, covered on 1 side past times a thick layer of broad stalactites that protrude partially from the wall. Beneath them the flow threads its mode across fallen rocks which inwards plough give mode to fine sand in addition to a modest puddle that slips beneath the stalactite covered wall.
With the lite twang of disappointment inwards his vocalism our guide explained that attempts to farther explore the tunnel through the exercise of dive equipment had come upwards up empty-handed. Indications suggested that the sleeping accommodation probable continued on farther into the cliffs, but silt in addition to obstacles inwards the submerged purpose of the tunnel made it impossible to explore. It was clear he had the catch of an explorer in addition to itched for the twenty-four hr menses when some shift or modify made it possible to discovery in addition to delve those depths.
He broke our thoughtful reverie in addition to voiced his theory that at 1 point, the cave organization probable opened into additional chambers farther inwards the cliff side. As evidence, he gestured at modest bits of sodden charcoal that had gathered, caught inwards the sand at the pool’s lip. Bits of charcoal, similar those nosotros were seeing, had been tested in addition to were roughly 4,000 years old. Even to a greater extent than interesting, they showed indications that they probable stemmed from man-made cooking fires.
His passion to solve the enquiry of where the charcoal was coming from in addition to who had left it deep within the cave captured our imaginations equally nosotros slow made our mode dorsum to the boat. Each of us dragged our feet slightly, eager to depict out the experience. But, then, equally apace equally it had all begun, nosotros institute ourselves dorsum inwards the boat, our faces pressed against the thick security of the raft’s sides equally nosotros squeezed beneath the modest arch in addition to re-emerged into the cavern amongst the waterfall.
Smoo Cave isn’t the most grandiose cave you’ll always explore. It’s also non the most beautiful. Yet, there’s something exceptional close it that teases the imagination. For my part, I expect frontwards to the chance to supply in addition to harbor the hope that someday we’ll solve the cave’s mystery in addition to larn to a greater extent than close what lies behind its flooded passageway.
Logistics: Durness is best reached past times machine or motorcycle. However, it tin live reached past times autobus or a bus/train combination past times mode of Lairg. In improver to Smoo Cave, Durness is also a pop base of operations for exploring Cape Wrath. There are several hostels in addition to numerous hotels in addition to B&Bs inwards the area; the most convenient for viewing Smoo Cave is the Durness Youth Hostel. Smoo Cave is costless to see but the boat tour costs roughly five GBP in addition to typically lasts 20-30 minutes. The cave is accessible all year.
Alex Berger is the author of VirtualWayfarer.com in addition to an American currently living inwards Copenhagen, Denmark. An avid traveler, his passions include move photography in addition to academic enquiry into the evolving role engineering scientific discipline plays inwards shaping backpacker culture.
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