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

FROM $346 BOOK WITH VIATOR 3-Day North Coast 500 Small-Group Tour from Inverness 3-Day North Coast 500 Small-Group Tour from Inverness

5.0

Duration: 3 days

Tours from $346 ›

FROM $10,045 BOOK WITH VIATOR The Ultimate Scottish Road Trip The Ultimate Scottish Road Trip

Duration: 8 days

Tours from $10,045 ›

Smoo Cave reviews

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TripAdvisor traveler rating

1,211 reviews

Google

4.6

By amyjaney22

This cave far exceeded my expectations. The vibes were immaculate just because the two guys that run this little £10 tour are the ones that explore it in the winter months and the cost of the tour...

This cave far exceeded my expectations. The vibes were immaculate just because the two guys that run this little £10 tour are the ones that explore it in the winter months and the cost of the tour... more »
By gcraib

Nice cave, had never been before but was curious. Mrs also wanted a o see waterfall but we weren’t able to wait for boat as time was limited. Defo worth a visit. Beware the bridge if you had a few..... more

Nice cave, had never been before but was curious. Mrs also wanted a o see waterfall but we weren’t able to wait for boat as time was limited. Defo worth a visit. Beware the bridge if you had a few..... more »

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Google

By Lauren neilson

Only down point is we had the dogs and couldn't take them on the tour

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By J Wood

Excellent cave. Glad we stopped but not worth driving there just to see it.

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