IN TIMES OF HEAVY RAIN, there is a place in Assynt where a whole river disappears into a tiny hole in the ground. Further down the same glen, an entirely different river bubbles up vertically from a patch of grass, appearing as if from nowhere, and continues downhill as any other river would.
It is so easy to simply walk straight past without noticing these bizarre phenomena. Yet they hint at something extraordinary.
Beneath the wild, iconic landscape of Assynt, there is a hidden world of subterranean rivers, vast chambers and passageways. Glistening grottos of stalactites and stalagmites hang above roaring cascades, and the bones of prehistoric animals lie waiting to be found. Yet most people who come to this area of the north-west Highlands are unaware that Scotland’s largest and most complicated cave systems exist beneath their feet.
Hundreds of walkers visit the small Inchnadamph Bone Caves every year. In the surrounding glens, however, are numerous small cave entrances, largely tucked away and easily missed amongst such a dramatic landscape. You are never too far from a cave if you are walking on Ben More Assynt, Conival or Breabag, where the cave forming carbonate rocks of the region are concentrated.
Whilst caves and potholes are an integral part of local culture in some parts of England and Wales, the same cannot be said for Scotland. In some ways it is easy to understand why. If you possess the skills and equipment to go caving in Assynt, first impressions are of dusty places lacking in beauty and underwhelming compared to the superb landscape on the surface. However, deeper exploration reveals places of sensory overload – such as ‘The Northern Lights’, a huge array of pristine calcite formations in Cnoc nan Uamh cave, or ‘Thunderghast Falls’, a roaring subterranean cascade.
Denne historien er fra November 2019-utgaven av The Great Outdoors.
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Denne historien er fra November 2019-utgaven av The Great Outdoors.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Practice Makes Perfect
Preparation is key if you want to enjoy, and not simply endure, the TGO Challenge. Organisers Ali Ogden and Sue Oxley look at how to be ready for the demands of a long-distance walk
More Ways than one
Roger Smith calls for more clarity around the increasing proliferation of named trails
THE LONG PATHWAY
Kat Young and Liv Bolton both walked New Zealand’s South Island from north to south via the country-spanning Te Araroa Trail. Here they each describe a section of this spectacular and life-changing route
THE CRUX
Last summer, self-confessed ‘average adventurer’ James Forrest completed all 282 of Scotland’s Munros in an intensive six-month push. Here he describes the most knee-trembling part of the journey – Skye’s famous Inaccessible Pinnacle
A HAPPY RETURN
For more than 30 years, Chris Townsend dreamed about doing a long walk through the high reaches of the Colorado Was it everything he hoped for?
Happy When It Rains
With an unpredictable winter approaching, here are TGO’s tips for enduring – even enjoying? – our ever-changing climate...
Mind Boggling
Rising rivers, quaking bogs, ferocious winds, possible thunderstorms and annoying theme tunes – will Paul Beasley be able to take all this in his stride and successfully cross Dartmoor?
Errigal
Donegal’s highest mountain is a sight to behold – unless, as Jim Perrin discovered, the weather has other ideas…
Commuting: Lochaber Style
For Many Of Us, The Daily Commute Can Be A Chore. But, For Neil Adams, Living And Working In One Of Scotland’s Finest Mountain Landscapes Gave Him The Opportunity To Turn It Into An Adventure...
The Depths Of Time
James Roddie goes under the surface of Assynt to discover a whole new dimension to an extraordinary, ancient landscape.