Things to do in Sutherland

Smoo Cave near Durness at the very northwest corner of Scotland is the largest sea cave on the British mainland, a three-chambered cave system cut into the Durness limestone by the combined action of the sea from the ocean entrance and the Allt Smoo stream from the inland entrance, whose combination of the dramatic arched entrance from the sea, the waterfall falling from the ceiling of the inner chamber and the underground boat trips through the furthest accessible sections provides one of the most unusual and most dramatic natural heritage visits in the Scottish Highlands. The outer chamber of the cave is entered through an enormous natural arch in the limestone cliff face, the largest cave entrance in Britain, whose scale is immediately impressive and whose cool, echoing interior contrasts dramatically with the Atlantic weather outside. The middle chamber is separated from the outer cave by a short passage and contains the waterfall of the Allt Smoo descending approximately twenty metres from a hole in the ceiling, the stream having carved its own entrance to the cave system from above independently of the sea entrance. The cave has been used by humans since prehistoric times, the floor deposits containing evidence of occupation over many thousands of years, and Norse settlers in the Viking period used it as a shelter and a midden site whose deposits have provided evidence of their diet and material culture. The Norse name Smoo derives from a word meaning cleft or hole in the rock, reflecting a tradition of naming this feature that goes back to the earliest Scandinavian settlement of this area. The dramatic limestone coastal scenery around Durness, including the Kyle of Durness and the remote beach of Balnakeil Bay, provides excellent walking and an exceptional landscape of northwest Scottish coast character.