Situated just east of Durness, the dramatic and spectacular Smoo Cave can be found tucked away in the limestone cliffs of the Geodha Smoo inlet. The word Smoo is a Norse word "Sumvya" meaning creek or cleft. Allow sufficient time on your journey to visit here then the nearby attractions. Turn left on A838 Smoo Cave. Expert local knowledge, gifts and inspiration. Smoo Cave is a large combined sea cave and freshwater cave in Durness in Sutherland, Highland, Scotland. At the eastern end of the extended village of Durness is the car park for Smoo Cave. Rome2rio makes travelling from Inverness to Smoo Cave easy. Through Bonar Bridge and through Lairg on A836 This dramatic and spectacular sea cave is set into the limestone cliffs in Sutherland. Through Bonar Bridge and through Lairg on A836 Should you wish to venture further inside and learn about the natural and human history of the cave, then you can join us for a tour. The word Smoo is a Norse word "Sumvya"(Smjuga) meaning creek or cleft. All rights reserved. About Smoo Cave. My wife and I visited off peak and were able to peruse the cave at our own leisure. Turn left and Smoo Cave Hotel is up on the left, Option 3 - from Inverness - 116 Miles Approx 2h50min Legend has it that Smoo Cave is a gateway to the Otherworld – or into the faery realm – and that it's guarded by spirits. And indeed, quite fittingly, a pothole in the third chamber leads no one knows where. Find more advice on exploring Scotland during Covid-19 on our dedicated page. Allow sufficient time on your journey to visit here then the nearby attractions. Next to the village of Durness, you can find this unusual cave formed by the sea. Smoo Cave is situated at the head of a narrow inlet which runs inland 600m from the N coast of Durness. Smoo Cave stands directly beneath the A838 running east of Durness. Iconic Ben Nevis needs to be top of your Scottish to-do list. Durness Smoo Cave, however, provides some answers and, thankfully, was immune to the destructive power of pre-modern man. The cave has formed along the bound Continue on A838 to Durness The cave is developed with wooden trails and has electric light, but there are no guided tours and no entrance fee. Smoo Cave Hotel, Durness: See 425 unbiased reviews of Smoo Cave Hotel, rated 4 of 5 on Tripadvisor and ranked #1 of 6 restaurants in Durness. Recent excavations show that the cave was in use 6,000 years ago by the earliest settlers in the north. The best way to get from London to Smoo Cave costs only £128 and takes just 11¼ hours. Public Transport. Smoo Cave tour, Durness, Scotland. Option 1 - to Inverness Airport and then by road Smoo Cave and Bhlar Duibhe. Continue on A836 to Tongue 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. Head North Mob: +44 7709 441 620. The shell midden is just within entrance to Smoo Cave on E side of a stream which has eroded it, and is much flattened by foot passage. Smoo Cave is ideally situated as it has access from the sea via a long and narrow sea loch called Geo Smoo, where high cliffs provide shelter even in the roughest of weather. Steps to Smoo Cave then gravel track, and road with pavement. Keep an eye open for the Smoo Cave Hotel signs Smoo Cave is formed within Early Ordovician dolostones of the Durness Group (also known as the Durness Limestone). Keep an eye open for the Smoo Cave Hotel signs  Starting at the Smoo Cave visitor parking lot, you will make your way to the trail head and hike down the Scottish coast line towards the mouth of the cave. Smoo Cave Scottish Highlands. This dramatic and spectacular sea cave is set into the limestone cliffs in Sutherland. Head West on A836 through Thurso and onto Tongue VisitScotland does not have any control over the content or availability of any external website. Scottish Highlands, Tel:  +44 1971 511 227 Allow sufficient time on your journey to visit here then the nearby attractions. Turn right at Laxford Bridge, continue on A838 to Durness The cave was formed within Early Ordovician Dolostones of the Durness Limestone Group. This booking system and any information appearing on this page is provided for your information and convenience only and is not intended to be an endorsement by VisitScotland of the content of such linked websites, the quality of any accommodation listed, or of the services of any third party. Coronavirus (COVID-19) advice. Smoo Cave is located at the eastern edge of the village of Durness, on Scotland’s most northerly coastline. Partway through the cave the waters of Allt Smoo also drop in as a 20 metres (66 ft) high waterfall. Smoo Cave is a large combined sea cave and freshwater cave in Durness in Sutherland, Highland, Scotland. Before reaching Durness Option 1 - to Inverness Railway Station and then by road Option 2 - to Lairg Railway Station and then by road It consists of a main cave (33m wide and 48m deep) and a series of smaller, subsidiary, caves. Find the travel options that best suit you. Smoo Cave was near the town of Durness on the far northwest extreme of Highland Scotland.. To get here from Inverness, we took a route that involved taking the A9 towards Tore (a little over 8 miles), then taking the A835 (becoming A837) towards the A894 (about 74 miles).. Then, we’d follow the A894 for another 18 miles before it merges with the A838 road. The Smoo Cave Hotel [postcode: IV27 4QB] is situated in the East of Durness, just off the A838 at Lerinmore. Keep an eye open for the Smoo Cave Hotel signs  Smoo Cave Hotel, Durness: See 459 unbiased reviews of Smoo Cave Hotel, rated 4 of 5 on Tripadvisor and ranked #1 of 6 restaurants in Durness. IV27 4QB Smoo Cave is Scotlands only show cave. Smoo is a word of Norse origin, meaning cleft, or hole. The waters of Allt Smoo plunge into a funnel and reappear at the entrance of the outer cave. Turn left on A837 towards Laxford Bridge It is intended to provide real time availability information relating to accommodation which is also provided by third parties. Sutherland Inner passages are formed from rainwater which continuously dissolves carbonate dolostones. 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. Turn left on A838 going through Tongue and continue on A838 to Durness My wife and I visited off peak and were able to peruse the cave at our own leisure. A limestone outcrop explains the presence of the cave and sandy beaches. It's easy to reach, following the directions from the tourist office. The cave has been the scene of many historical visitations, see list of references, but the best account is by Sir Walter Scott , after a visit in 1814 ( Lockhart ). Find all the transport options for your trip from Inverness to Smoo Cave right here. Smoo Cave has a mouth 40m wide and 49m high and it stretches 83 meters into the Earth. "Smoo" is a name thought to derive from the Old Norse Smuga which 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. The limestone cave lies east of Durness village, at the end of an eight hundred metre sea inlet; Geodha Smoo; where the Smoo burn drops from the level of the road underground. 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. Smoo Cave has an amazing history linking Vikings to this coastal fishing community and is able to offer guided tours in peak season. 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. Smoo Cave has an amazing history linking Vikings to this coastal fishing community and is able to offer guided tours in peak season. Directions to Smoo Cave Hotel The Smoo Cave Hotel [postcode: IV27 4QB] is situated in the East of Durness, just off the A838 at Lerinmore. The name of the cave, “Smoo”, comes from an old Norse word, “smjugg”, meaning “the hiding-place”. It measures approx 3m diameter by 0.2 m high. It was formed by a burn that runs down into the rear chamber, as well as erosion caused by the sea. You may use this booking system to place direct bookings with third party accommodation providers. Entrance fee search our website and visit a website owned and operated by a third party accommodation.! Located in Durness a working farm long with little elevation gain sea Cave and freshwater Cave in in... 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