Author Topic: Arbroath Cliffs Caves (Read 14069 times)

DK · « **on:** November 07, 2010, 01:03:18 pm »

Hello folks.

Apologies if this has already been done but in case anybody is interested here goes.......

I have put together a file of recently taken digital images of the caves, rock shelters and rock arches on the Angus coastline, from Arbroath to the north end of Lunan bay.

The file contains 80 photographs of 69 sites each with my best guess six figure map reference. Since it runs to 130 MB I have split it into two parts to make it more e-mail friendly.

If anybody wants a copy I am more than happy to send it on.

Cheers DK.

RobinGriffiths · « **Reply #1 on:** November 07, 2010, 11:18:00 pm »

Hi DK,

If you have Flickr account you could upload it there (with some restrictions on number of photos) and send us the link. If you've got BT Internet then you have Flickr Pro automatically and can upload the whole lot.

Regards,

Robin

DK · « **Reply #2 on:** November 08, 2010, 08:10:07 am »

Im up to the limit on flickr and all of my other photo accounts as it is

Will have scout around and see if there is anywhere I have missed. Or mabey that situation is a a sign that its time for a clear out

DK · « **Reply #3 on:** November 08, 2010, 01:00:48 pm »

I tried the image hosting solution but it does not work out because I can not get them to copy over the map references/names/locations which just leaves a collection of random and therefore pointless collection of images. Unless I type them all in individualy again which I dont have time for at the moment. Sorry.

If my techy department sorts out a solution I will get it done soon as.

DK · « **Reply #4 on:** November 09, 2010, 08:40:08 am »

Slideshow - http://orange.photobox.co.uk/slideshow?album_id=21613731

Try here - http://orange.photobox.co.uk/album/21613731

or here- http://orange.photobox.co.uk/my/album?album_id=21613731

to view as album.

Obviously it will require some editing. I have left out some of the cave names for the moment due to getting some understandably conflicting information on the subject. Some of the grid numbers between Auchmithie and Prail may need to be tweaked by a digit. Some caves may be missing - waiting for the nettle forests to die back a bit before going in to a couple of locations

Can anybody who has kayaked their way into Gaylet Pot tell me if it is connected to Gullimot Cave ?

Anything else I have missed ?

RobinGriffiths · « **Reply #5 on:** November 09, 2010, 10:01:47 am »

Very interesting. Looks like a great place for a canoe explore.

Robin

DK · « **Reply #6 on:** November 09, 2010, 11:13:30 am »

I occasionaly see canoe/kayakers there.

Hope your not one of those paddlers who sneaks below rock climbers and goes BOO! Nearly popped into the water a few times because of a "failure to cough while approaching"

Dickmont Den and a couple of other spots appear to be lunch break venues on some sort of local circuit.

cavermark · « **Reply #7 on:** November 12, 2010, 01:47:15 pm »

DK - are you in touch with the Grampian Speleo Soc? they meet weekly in Edinburgh, but have members all over.

rhychydwr1 · « **Reply #8 on:** November 12, 2010, 04:26:27 pm »

And of course there is a book. At lease half a dozen.

DK · « **Reply #9 on:** November 12, 2010, 07:30:17 pm »

Thanks a lot guys, that will help.

I was obviously looking in the wrong places and asking the wrong people

What information I did get seemed to be a bit sketchy/conflicting/have omissions. Also I could find little in the way of images so while I was doing a photograpy project along the coast I had a go at trying to work it out myself.

I did many years ago manage to borrow a helpful book, Im working from dodgy memory here - orange cover, The Sandstone Caves of scotland, A Jeffries. Is that right ? I did try to locate a copy several times but nobody could supply me with one.

nickwilliams · « **Reply #10 on:** November 12, 2010, 08:51:18 pm »

Quote from: DK on November 12, 2010, 07:30:17 pm

I did many years ago manage to borrow a helpful book, Im working from dodgy memory here - orange cover, The Sandstone Caves of scotland, A Jeffries. Is that right ? I did try to locate a copy several times but nobody could supply me with one.

Alan Jeffries (a.k.a. "Goon") is the founder member of the GSG and is still the Recorder and Librarian (and, I should add, an active caver). I am sure there will be copies of the book in the club library in Edinburgh.

If you have any interest in caves in Scotland at all then you are highly recommended to contact them. Details here: http://www.sat.dundee.ac.uk/~arb/gsg/

Nick.

Uamhair · « **Reply #11 on:** August 16, 2011, 04:34:41 pm »

Just found this page in a Google search so apologies for the bump! Being in Aberdeen, I've frequented these caves in the past and the GSG are actually having their first Arbroath meet this weekend. After seeing some of the photos on Flickr, I think I may have missed something in 'Stalagmite Cave', which I had previously called Rift Cave (right next to 'dry' entrance to Stalactite Cave).

I'd taken a photo over the flowstone to see if the awkward climb and squeeze would be worthwhile but thought not from the photos. However, in one of the Flickr photos, I can see a bit of a rope setup which has made me wonder, does it go further up or were the ropes just for getting in? I'd previously noticed that the entrance flowstone had been smashed for what looked like a foothold which had made me think that there must have been something worthwhile.

DK · « **Reply #12 on:** August 17, 2011, 04:51:43 pm »

Basic description of the cave - 4. NO662411, Stalagmite Cave, 200 meters beyond Rift Cave. Enter through a squeeze to a narrow initial section roughly 0.6 meters wide, 1.8 meters high. There is a 4.5 meter vertical drop approx 5 meters beyond the entrance. Lower chambers total around 55 meters in length. Tapers gradually from a maximum of around 6 meters high and 3 meters wide just beyond the drop to 0.5 metres high and wide at the end. In the central section of the cave the floor is covered with deep soft sand. Contains some of the best examples of flowstone formations in the area. After heavy rain water can be heard running at the very end of the cave. 56 33' 40.64"N 2 33' 05.68 "W

There were a couple of nasty old nylon half inch ropes that were best avoided at the drop to the lower level but one of them came undone recently. There was also the remains of a ladder but its only got one rung left. There is an old log ladder hiding behind it. If its dry its easy enough to bridge your way up and down but if its wet it can be very slippery. If in doubt I chuck a couple of climbing nuts in the cracks on the floor (3 and a 5 I think) and attach a short length of rope.

There are a couple of carved arched footsteps and helpful rectangular shaped handhold at the entrance.

I have loads of photographs of the inside of the cave including some "graffiti" that goes back to the 1800's if they are of any interest.

There are a couple posted on my flickr - http://www.flickr.com/photos/86461298@N00/

DK · « **Reply #13 on:** August 17, 2011, 07:29:06 pm »

I have put a few images up here -

http://www.photobox.co.uk/my/album?album_id=859218348

They are not the best quality but they are the only ones I can access from where I am at the moment.

RobinGriffiths · « **Reply #14 on:** August 18, 2011, 10:25:17 am »

Interesting photos. Any information on how the caves were formed. Are they purely seacaves? The BGS website indicates the rock to be the Scone Sandstone formation (Purple-brown and purple-grey, fine- to coarse-grained, commonly cross-bedded sandstones with subsidiary siltstone, mudstone, conglomerate, sparse andesitic lava flows and some calcareous beds with concretionary limestones towards the top. )

Looks like an interesting bit of coast for an explore judging by the OS map.

Robin

DK · « **Reply #15 on:** August 19, 2011, 09:00:57 am »

I could not say how they were formed, I was hoping some rockologists would jump in and answer that one.

Most but certainly not all of them appear to have been the result of wave action on fault lines. Many of the "dry" caves are situated on post late-Devensian raised beaches and some still have their floors covered in beach pebbles.

Uamhair · « **Reply #16 on:** August 19, 2011, 11:15:08 am »

Cheers DK - I can't believe I've missed that cave previously

I'll be in there tomorrow and will let you know any thoughts!

RobinGriffiths · « **Reply #17 on:** August 30, 2011, 10:31:38 pm »

Blimey there's loads of caves on that stretch of coast (44). Just been viewing in a freshly obtained 'Other Caves of Scotland) that I've just purchased from Mr Oldham for a forthcoming trip to another bit of Scotland.

DK · « **Reply #18 on:** September 17, 2015, 06:07:16 pm »

Due to the old links keeling over the photographs are now located at -

http://my.inbox.com/photos/denygpz/index.aspx

Three rock aches have been added

76. Tod's Hole (Boddin)
77. Spindle on the Rock (Usan)
78. The Blue Hole

NigelF · « **Reply #19 on:** October 07, 2019, 08:28:12 pm »

I wonder if you guys from other parts of the UK are aware of the Grampian Speleological Group (GSG) caves and mines database which can be found at

http://registry.gsg.org.uk/sr/registrysearch.php

This allows you to search within 10 km (or 5 or 1) of a location - NGR or selected off the map.
A new feature has recently been added which allows search by a combination of attribute (ie cave, sea cave, arch, mine, tunnel etc) and length.
On the down side, a significant proportion of entries have little info apart from location and name - but it is getting better as more people submit info.
Also no photos or other graphics yet.

RobinGriffiths · « **Reply #20 on:** October 08, 2019, 12:48:58 am »

It's great yes. This is based on the same software as that used by Devon, Mendip, Peak and Wales. I wish they would implement an API as well, so you don't have to scrape and end up with out of date data for your personal projects.

RobinGriffiths · « **Reply #21 on:** October 08, 2019, 12:52:57 am »

Apologies to Wales. Different system. Da iawn Cymru.

rhychydwr1 · « **Reply #22 on:** October 08, 2019, 08:45:17 am »

Quote from: NigelF on October 07, 2019, 08:28:12 pm

I wonder if you guys from other parts of the UK are aware of the Grampian Speleological Group (GSG) caves and mines database which can be found at

http://registry.gsg.org.uk/sr/registrysearch.php

This allows you to search within 10 km (or 5 or 1) of a location - NGR or selected off the map.
A new feature has recently been added which allows search by a combination of attribute (ie cave, sea cave, arch, mine, tunnel etc) and length.
On the down side, a significant proportion of entries have little info apart from location and name - but it is getting better as more people submit info.
Also no photos or other graphics yet.

If you need descriptions there are plenty of books on the Caves and Mines of Scotland:

http://www.arbarama.com/cave/speleo/guides.html

half.pint32 · « **Reply #23 on:** August 05, 2020, 08:03:16 pm »

Looking for a photo of the Gulliemot Cave beside Lud Castle ? Can anyone help - Thanks.

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk

paul · « **Reply #24 on:** August 06, 2020, 07:07:47 pm »

Quote from: half.pint32 on August 05, 2020, 08:03:16 pm

Looking for a photo of the Gulliemot Cave beside Lud Castle ? Can anyone help - Thanks.

Would that be the one in this blog post: https://seakayakphoto.blogspot.com/2015/05/a-rescue-and-two-ice-cream-heads-at.html