Skye

[tim.rose2]

Hi,
Will be on holiday in Skye from Thurs 16th to Wed 22nd June, we're planning to do a couple of caves whilst up there, most likely on the Sunday.  Are there any local cavers who'd like to show us around??  Would be great to have some local knowledge. 
Failing that, we've got the Skye book - could anyone suggest a couple of straight forward trips the 2 of us shouldn't come to any harm in? 
Cheers
Tim

 

[Julie H]

This link should put you in touch with a local caver, who is also an archaeologist http://www.high-pasture-cave.org/  .  I've only been to Skye the once (its a surprisingly long drive from home near Edinburgh!).  I did Spar Cave (a sea cave but with a great entrance near the beach and def worth a look for an hour or 2) and Camus Malag caves (very wet!)
Have fun,
Julie

 

[tim.rose2]

Cheers Julie.  Just emailed Steven Birch from the website you posted.  We're from Dorset, however staying overnight in Edinburgh on the way up - its certainly going to be a long drive!

Just looked up Camus Malag in the book - looks a good trip, however I couldn't find Spar Cave listed - is it under and alternative name, or perhaps you could let me know where it is and a rough idea what to expect.

Cheers
Tim

 

[Dave Tyson]

There are some notes and photos of Spar cave at:

http://www.darkplaces.co.uk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=8193

We been in high pasture cave a couple of times and it is excellent. There are plenty of other smaller
caves near HPC. Identifying which is which is a challenge - especially if its misty

Dave

Wirral Caving Group

 

[Dave Tyson]

In the above URL replace 'dick' with 'dark'. I hadn't realised the forum software was petty minded like mine-explorer

Dave

 

[Les W]

Hi Tim,
I heartily recommend High Pasture Cave. It is a fabulous cave. If you go there then take some time to look at the archaeology around the entrance. This is a very important site.
If you are able to contact Steve Birch then he will be able to tell you all about it.
When we were last in Skye we also visit Upper and lower Broadford caves, they are worth a visit (at least once  ). Look out for the midges they are carnivorous.

 

[rhychydwr1]

There is a book....

If you need to ask the priced, you cannot afford it:

SPAR CAVE NGR NG 538 129 Landranger 32 Elgol, Skye
marked on Landranger map.  Also known as Sloched Altrimen (= Cave of the Nursling) and Macalister?s Cave.  A 20 feet, L 310 feet, VR 30 feet.

...mermaid?s alabaster grot
Who bathes her limbs in sunless well
Deep in Straithairds enchanted cell.

Lord of the Isles

From Elgol, take the unclassified road (tar sealed) to Glasnakille.  Park near the telephone kiosk at the `T? junction.  Take the road to the south and seek permission to visit the cave at the second cottage.  A fee of 8p per head (April 1974) is payable.  The cave is situated at the end of an impressive gorge 50-60 feet high, 20-30 feet wide and 200 feet long.  It is only accessible for about ? hour at low tide in settled weather.  Cavers wishing to view the cave for a longer period should use a 70 foot ladder from a suitable point at the head of the gorge.

The entrance is partially bricked up with a wall 6 feet high and a large gap for a doorway.  The door was blown off many years ago by a passing gun boat for target practise.  Behind the wall lies an impressive entrance chamber, with a shower of water, heavily charged with CaCo3, which is being deposited on a pile of tin cans and rubbish on the floor of the cave. 

The cave consists of two passages.  To the right, a 60 foot long passage with a muddy ends in an impenetrable crack.  To the left a 30 foot high passage leads off.  After 60 feet it turns sharply to the right and ascends 30 feet over a stalagmite flow.  At the top is a 20 foot high chamber, still well decorated, although according to Dr Johnson, it was badly vandalised soon after the discovery of the cave.  The passage descends 10 feet to a pool of water.  At the far side of the pool, the cave ends after passing though two stalagmite columns.

The cave?s alternative name is Slochd Altrimen, and is derived from a tale over a thousand years old!  The daughter of a clan chieftain had a child, out of wedlock by the son of a rival chieftain.  To avoid disgrace and certain death she hid the child in the cave until the feud was over and they were able to get married. 

Nearby are seven other caves of varying lengths, some with stalactite formations.

 

[Claustrophobic]

Hi  Tim,

Yes try High Pasture cave it's a good trip, hope it stops raining for your visit other wise it could limit the number of caves.As les suggests Breakish caves upper and lower are worth a trip(dry ish).
If the weather has been dry then Valley Head Cave is good though the lower section is very wet.

Douglas.

 

[tim.rose2]

Cheers for all the suggestions / advice.  Now back I thought I'd upload a few photo's of the caves we visited.  Apologies for the poor quality photo's - I'm no photographer and the camera is nearing the end of its life!!!

First we had a look at Spar Cave (sea cave) - very much worth a visit and thanks for pointing that one out:

A couple of days later we had a look at High Pasture Cave much to the amusement of a group of workmen re-surfacing the road below the cave.  They followed us up to the entrance peered in and then declared we're mad!  Another good trip - took about 1 hr which including being slow so I could take lots of photo's in the hope one is reasonable.  The water levels were low and the duck was only a few inches deep.

Later the same day we found Breakish and Breakish Bridge caves.  These were more of a collectors piece!  They certainly contained some formations I'd describe as unique but I'm not sure I'd describe them as beautiful!  The word 'danglies' and phase 'moldy cave cauliflower' rather than the usual terms for speleotherms seemed more appropriate however there was one or two very nice bits of floor.  The entrance crawl to Breakish cave also contained some rather juicy spiders (hence the stick in the photo).

Breakish cave:

Breakish Bridge Cave: