
Scottish Caving -
Here are some of my images of the caves in Scotland.
All na Calda Mhor:
This short but interesting cave lies under a
waterfall in a stream valley above Loch Assynt. It is very
damp!
Balnakeil Gloup
This interesting sea cave lies in the cliffs
on the southern side of Balnakeil Bay near Durness. 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.. The cave is liberally endowed with
stalagmite formations and is well worth a visit.
Bone Caves
These lie to south of Inchnadamph and are in
a nature reserve. A parking area by a fish farm leads up the
Allt nam Uamh valley to loop around these ancient remnants
of a much large cave system extending into the mountain. Just
beyond the bifurcation of the main valley, on each side lie
2 of Scotland's longest caves, Allt nam Uamh Stream Cave (ANUS)
and Uamh an Claonaite.
Claonaite
This is Scotland's longest cave and exploration
continues. You can see the images in relation to the survey
on another page.
Far
side of Sump 1 bypass |
Cavity
wall passage |
Ascending
first Watershoot |
Bottom
of second Watershoot by Sump 2 |
Crawling
towards Sump 3 |
In
the big passages beyond Sump 6 |

Tony Boycott on the far side of Sump 3 |

The crawl away from Sump 3 to Sump 4 |
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Julian Walford the far side of Sump 6b |

Approaching Raigmore Steps |

Looking down the boulder slope in Belhaven (thought
to be link point to Rana Hole) |

Simon Brooks in Legless Highway |

Tony Boycott examines the bear bones |

The bear's jaw bone |

Entering the Great Northern Time Machine |

Splash formations in the Great Northern Time Machine |

Stalagmite formations in the Great Northern Time Machine |

Simon Brooks on the Twin Falls of Jabaroo |

The climb into the streamway just before Sump 7 |

Simon Brooks in Sump & |
Cnoc nam Uamh
This lies in the Traligill valley above Inchnadamph.
Parts of it are popular with outdoor groups and it is also
a challenging cave diving site. The lowest entrance leads
directly onto a spectacular ramp known as the Waterslide which
drops steeply for 60 metres before ending in a sump (flooded
section of cave passage). Diving attempts in 1991 revealed
an underwater boulder obstruction but in 1994 this was passed
and some of the most beautiful cave passage in Scotland was
entered.
Uppermost
entrance |
Just
inside the entrance |
The
grotto |
On
the way to the 'worm' static sump |
Just
below Uamh an Tartair the middle entrance |
A
view of the Waterslide |
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In
the Waterslide |
Approaching
the sump |
Northern
Lights beyond the sumps |
Northern
lights |
Bottom
of the waterslide |
Storm Cave
This is the newest find in the Traligill area
and was located after the entrance had collapsed, during a
storm. It is very near the main stream sink, so considerable
distance fromCnoc nam Uamh. It consists of a crawl, a big
dark peat filled chamber, a short streamway and a very gloomy
sump.

Top of the chamber |

Looking up the rubble slope from
the streamway |

In the streamway |

Streamway leading to sump |

Small cascades |

Near the sump |
The sump |
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Smoo Cave
This huge sea cave just outside Durness is open
to the public. A freshwater stream rises from its depths out
of an impenetrable sump and there is a spectacular waterfall
from the surface in wet weather. A TV programme a few years
ago featured the climber Joe Brown fishing for trout in the
pool at the base of the waterfall!
Allt nam Uamh Stream Cave (ANUS Cave)
This system was the first system of any significant size
to be found in this area. It was chiselled open in 1948 and
lies on the left fork of the Allt nam Uamh valley 100 metres
before a normally dry waterfall is encountered. The low entrance
in the wall of a cliff on the right looking downstream is
surrounded by boulders. A constriction just inside the entrance
drops into the large Assembly Hall from which passages run
in several directions. Downstream encounters the main stream
emerging from a sump and it then flows into a very final looking
boulder choke. Upstream big fossil passage leads to a large
chamber and then a constricted crawl leading to Farr series
discovered by the Welsh cave diver Martyn Farr in 1976 by
diving the previously mentioned sump. Farr series contains
big dry passages waterfalls and cascades and ends in the unpassed
final sump 4. There are few formations in the cave but despite
it's relatively modest length it provides some sporting caving.
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Looking out of the entrance |

The constriction just beyond the entrance |

The Assembly Hall looking back towards the entrance
slot (just the right of the flash) |

The Assembly Hall looking into the cave |

The far end of the Assembly Hall |

View along Oxford Street towards the entrance passage |

The traversse over the First Stream chamber |

Just above the climb into the Pit |
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Breakdown Chamber |

The dug connecting crawl into the Farr Series from
Breakdown Chamber |

One of the cascades upstream of Sump 3 |
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Entering Upholes Passage just before Sump 4 |

In Upholes Passage |

Simon Brooks admires unusual mud drip formations |
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