Smoo Cave

Overview

2024 Update - Call 01971 511 492  in the morning (after 9:30 am) to check if tours of the cave are operating.

Tours cannot be pre-booked as they are weather dependent.

No tours between 1 November - 31 March

Smoo Cave is a natural sea cave located ~1 mile to the East of Durness village centre which is in Sutherland in the North West Highlands of Scotland. It is the main tourist attraction in Durness and an impressive site that we would recommend to anybody visiting this beautiful and wild corner of Scotland.

The cave entrance is accessible via a circular walk which starts and finishes at the car park. The path that descends from the car park to the cave is quite steep and rough-surfaced in places, so not suitable for anyone with walking difficulties.

The approach to the cave is very impressive, with an entrance 50 feet (15 meters) high, 130 feet (40 meters) wide and 200 feet (61 meters) long. You are virtually walking towards a giant mouth. Inside the cave, there is a covered wooden pathway and bridge taking the visitor to a magnificent cascade that falls 25 meters into an 8 meter deep pool.

If you want to venture further into the cave, there are guided "Geological" tours. These tours last about 20 minutes and start with a short boat ride that takes you to a point where you can then start on a scramble into the darker recesses of the cavern, but the cave has lighting. Sturdy waterproof footwear is advisable for this as water flows through the cave.

The cave tours are weather dependent as rainfall can cause the water levels to change rapidly. 

Smoo Cave is one of the attractions featured in our North Coast 500 itinerary.