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Scotland
Smoo Cave

Sea caves are fascinating. Limestone caves are exciting. With an active river plunging down a sink hole the cave experience is even better. Smoo Cave has them all - and it lies just beside the main road.
Smoo Cave emerges from the cliff face
Inside Smoo Cave - the arch on the right leads to the waterfall
Smoo Cave is a limestone cavern that emerges onto a sandy seaside beach. The car park (with public toilets) lies beside the main road from Ullapool to Thurso and the cave is reached via steep steps that wind down the cliff. Admission is free. The cavern reaches 21 metres high (70 feet) and has a stream running though it and out to the beach. At times there are tours, which include a short boat ride along the underground river and into caves that are not accessible on foot.
The cave entrance measures 30 metres wide by 15 metres high (98 feet by 49 feet). It would formerly have been closer to the shore, but collapses over time have turned the cave walls of the past into the gorge cliffs of today. The name "Smoo" comes from an old Viking word "smuga", meaning a hole or hiding place. However, there is evidence of its use before the days of the Vikings - even in prehistoric times.
A former sink hole entrance

Limestone caves are constantly changing... the hole at the top of the picture on the left is where the river once emerged to plunge as a waterfall down the green-stained cave wall.

Today's river course plunges down a sink hole that you can view from a convenient bridge on the opposite side of the road (below left). The water pours noisily down into the cave (below right). It is almost impossible to avoid splashes on the camera lens.

The river plunges into the sink hole
The waterfall inside the cave