Trip Planner: Europe / UK / Scotland / Scottish Highlands / Caithness and Sutherland / Durness / Smoo Cave

Smoo Cave, Durness

4.5

#1 of 11 in Nature in Caithness and Sutherland

Cave · Nature / Park

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Easily accessible, Smoo Cave has the largest entrance of any sea cave in the British Isles. Its vast interior is floodlit, and you can even explore the innermost depths by boat. Travel to the cave by a steep track down to the inlet where the seawater meets the river. Then, the entrance leads you into a large cavern in the lime stone cliffs. Check with local tour guides about boating and discovering more of the cave’s depths. The word Smoo is a Norse word "Sumvya" meaning creek or cleft. Recent excavations show that the cave was in use 6,000 years ago by the earliest settlers in the north. A visit to Smoo Cave represents just the start of the adventure when you use our Durness trip builder tool to plot your vacation.

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Tours to Smoo Cave

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Smoo Cave reviews

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TripAdvisor traveler rating

1,230 reviews

Google

4.6

By K6614XUtonib

Gorgeous little stop along the NC500 We went early and were the only people there. The car park is free (with a donation box) and has toilets. There’s a short walk down to the caves. It was really.... more

Gorgeous little stop along the NC500 We went early and were the only people there. The car park is free (with a donation box) and has toilets. There’s a short walk down to the caves. It was really.... more »
By ChattyCathy9

We visited the cave early on a Sunday morning before the 11am opening time. It was beautiful and peaceful and you are able to walk right into the cave. Amazing photo opportunities. There is a small..... more

We visited the cave early on a Sunday morning before the 11am opening time. It was beautiful and peaceful and you are able to walk right into the cave. Amazing photo opportunities. There is a small..... more »

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Google

By Madhu Durgadmath

A must visit! It's truly a mesmerizing cave and do not miss the boat ride. They give a tour inside the cave which can be reached only through a boat ride( Cash only). They give you a safety helmet and explain the history of the caves. If you are lucky, you will get to see the waterfall as well ( weather based).

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By Grace

Amazing waterfall with the cove and sea also. Beautiful scenery. Plenty of walking to get down, up and around. If you are wanting to just see the Cave and falls it's just straight down the steps. Dog friendly.

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