North West Highlands Geopark (2016) North West Highlands Geopark Geodiversity Audit and Action Plan 2013–2016
Additional notes: These web pages are sourced from the PDF North West Highlands Geopark Geodiversity Audit and Action Plan 2013–2016
NWHG Ref. 028 — Traligill Caves
Location, grid reference and photograph
The Caves are located within the valley of the Traligill Burn, 2.5 km south-east of Inchnadamph, Grid Ref.
GCR site reference, block, volume and notified feature of SSSI?
GCR Ref. 549, Karst and Caves Block, Vol. 12. Notified feature of Ben More Assynt SSSI.
Description and geological significance
The site comprises outcrops of limestones and dolostones of the Durness Group which contain a series of caves extending to a total of more than 2 km of passages. They have a complex hydrology and transmit drainage from multiple sinks to multiple risings, reflecting the geological structure. The caves’ passage morphology and deposits contain evidence of sequential glacial rejuvenations of the Traligill valley. Significantly, they contain a stalagmite dated to around 28,000 years BP, indicative of mid- Devensian deglaciation of the valley.
Accessibility
The caves are located within steep ground on the south side of the valley and can be accessed via a rough track from Inchnadamph. There is no all abilities access. Effectively no direct access for the general public to the underground passages. This is restricted to specialist cavers and speleological groups.
Conservation
Moderate to high conservation requirement due to importance of cave features and accessibility by specialist cavers/potholers.
Visibility and “clarity”
Low visibility of cave entrances from access path.
Interpretation and interpretation potential
There is no current interpretation facility above/below ground and interpretation potential is low due to the intrinsic nature/low accessibility of the features. Nonetheless, they should be mentioned in a future Geopark guide. Traligill valley features as a walk in the guidebook “Exploring the landscape of Assynt”
Key references
Geological Conservation Review Series, Volume 12: Karst and Caves of Great Britain, site description page 302.
LAWSON, T.J. 1988. Caves of Assynt, Grampian Speleological Group.