Caves of Assynt

Assynt is the best Scottish caving region. Three caves have over 1km of passage, and the longest over 2km. The club has two huts in the area, the newest of which, Taig nam Faimh, was recently officially opened.

There are three main regions (only the most significant caves are listed):

• Traligill
• Allt Nan Uamh
• Knockan
• Other caves

• Caves of the Traligill Basin
  The Traligill Basin is to the east of Inchnadamph; the caves can be found alongside the path from the hotel up to Ben More Assynt.

  Glenbain Hole

  Pol Eighe

  Firehose Cave

  Tree Hole

  Lower Traligill Cave

  Cnoc Nan Uamh System (Hill Of The Caves System)

  The largest in the Traligill Basin, part of the master cave. View a location map. There are three entrances:

  • Uamh An Uisge (Cave of the Water) is an entrance into which one can walk. A stream can be heard from a small hole at floor level where a crawl leads off into the main part of the cave.
  • Uamh An Tartair (Cave of the Roaring) is an entrance formed along a thrust plane. A formidable amount of water passes through into the Waterslide, unfortunately terminated by a sump.
  • The un-named pothole entrance

  Uamh Cailliche Peireag

• Caves of the Allt Nan Uamh Basin
  The Allt Nan Uamh Basin is a valley to the south of the Traligill Basin. Caves can be found either side of a fork in the valley after Creag Nan Uamh. This picture is taken from further down the valley.
  

  For more details, including cave surveys, please see Alastair's pages.

  Otter Hole

  Uamh An Claonaite

  Currently the longest cave in Scotland. View a location map. A squeeze down the entrance climb and a short walk reaches the first sump. A wet crawl at the side by-passes it to reveal a second sump and a second by-pass. The most sporting section of the cave follows; some deep pools and a unique waterslide. Only divers can pass the third, fourth, fifth, and sixths sumps! The Great Northern Time Machine, a huge chamber large enough to contain Edinburgh's Usher Hall, is then reached, adequate reward for those brave (or foolhardy) enough to reach it. Bones found there are currently being examined by experts. Digging is continuing at a seventh sump.

  Allt Nan Uamh Stream Cave

  Popularly known by it's initials, ANUS Cave is the most complex subterranean maze in Scotland. View a location map. Completely different from Uamh An Claonaite, ANUS is mostly dry with some large chambers. The Farr extensions, for divers only until the January 1999 breakthrough, are over 600m.

  Uamh Ard

  Bone Caves

  The Bone Caves are to be found at the base of the cliffs on Creag Nan Uamh, above the talus slope. Bones and other artefacts of human settlement were discovered inside and so the caves are now a protected area.

  Rana Hole

  Originally just a dig on the top of Creag Nan Uamh, Rana Hole now connects with Uamh An Claonaite after the sumps, thus allowing access to the Great Northern Time Machine. [see the rigging guide]

• Caves of the Knockan Basin
  The Knockan Basin is to the east of the road through Knockan, south of Elphin.

  Cold Water Cave

  Uamh An Tartair

  Uamh Cul Eoghainn (Cave of Ewan's Hollow)

  Elphin Hole

  Uamh Poll Eoghainn (Cave of Ewan's Pool)

  Knockan Pot

  One of the few actual potholes (as distinct from caves) in Scotland.

• Other caves

  Allt a'Chalda Mor Stream Cave

Caves of Scotland