Address: Smoo, Durness, Lairg IV27 4QA, United Kingdom
Phone: +441971511492
Rating: 4.6
based on 231 reviews.
Accessibility
Pros:
"Easy path down and back up."
"Safe access now available down to the cave, public toilets available at the road."
"Well signed path down, with hand rail."
"The walk down to the cave is a tad steep but the path is well maintained."
"The footpath access is well maintained but quite steep and several steps."
"The walk down to the cave was a bit steep, but it was well worth it to see the impressive entrance."
"Steps are a bit steep so be aware but there is a hand rail."
Cons:
"Not suitable for people with mobility issues as far as I could see."
"Access to sea level was by quite big steps and would be difficult for anyone with mobility issues."
"Not wheelchair accessible."
"The walk down to the cave is a bit arduous and the steps are quite high not good for prams."
"Not suitable for Wheelchairs, small Children or Anyone who struggle to get up or down rough terrain."
"There's a lot of steps down to the cave so be wary if you have bad knees."
"Many steps down to the cave so sensible footwear and reasonable fitness needed."
Parking
Pros:
"Car park is small but I believe there is other parking around though I didn’t use it."
"There is free parking right next to the cave path, don't be fooled by the paid parking sign a couple roads before it."
"There is a parking above with well maintained toilets and a 24/7 petrol station just close by."
"Free parking at the site. There are also free public toilets at the carpark."
"Public toilets and parking at the top."
"Plenty of free parking and good signage as well as occasional tours."
"Small car park but does have free toilets."
Cons:
"Parking can be tricky as we discovered, especially for motorhomes."
"Parking is limited but wait times for a space usually short."
"Parking is limited and was fairly busy while we were there first week in August."
"Small car park with a toilet so beware tour buses stopping to use it."
"Car park is quite small and not really up to handling the number of visitors."
"Nearby car park is just for 15 cars max."
"Parking near can be an issue as the area is becoming busier."
Tour Experience
Pros:
"This was a nice wee adventure. Worthwhile paying for the tour."
"The tour was very cool with a member of the speology group who is also digging there taking us around by boat and foot and explaining what they found and what they hope to find in the future."
"The staff are very knowledgeable about the caves history and future parts of the cave yet to be discovered."
"Your guide will be a member of the Scottish Cave Rescue organisation and is personally involved in the on going exploration of this natural treasure."
"The tour guide was knowledgeable and engaging, providing interesting facts about the history and geology of the cave."
"We had the boat trip into the cave, lovely guide, lots of useful info."
"This was well worth the money I paid and the two people that took us on the trip were so informative."
Cons:
"The tour was not operating due to the high water levels."
"Not very well organised. White board asking for names a numbers, but no explanation."
"Be aware the boat trip is dependent on weather, rain, tide, wind etc so you may not get to go on the trip."
"No tours if it's raining and you can get inside the second cave only with a tour guide."
"Didn't do the tours of the inner cave as no one around to speak to about it."
"At the moment all tours have been suspended due corona, so you cannot fully appreciate how big this natural wonder is."
"The cave tours we're not open when we went (too windy)."
General Experience
Pros:
"A fascinating sea cave with a fresh water waterfall inside."
"This is one of the best things to see and visit on the NC500."
"A nice stop off here with plenty of views."
"Amazing cave with a powerful waterfall."
"Such a magical creature of the Earth! We visited the Smoo Cave when the sun went down and it was very special."
"Amazing history and worth having a gander if you are in the area."
"The views were amazing from the cliffs around, the powerful water, the lightening in the cave, all the wooden stairs."
Cons:
"It's a beautiful location, but don't expect something otherworldly."
"To be honest I was a little disappointed with Smoo cave. Aside from a few walkways nothing has been done to make the cave visually accessible."
"The cave itself is spectacular, but the effect is spoiled by rather old and tatty displays and walkways."
"We could not see so much from the waterfall inside the cave because the water was very fast and massive at the time but we really enjoyed it."
"The cave is rather small but features a tall waterfall."
"Was a little underwhelmed after reading all the hype."
"Though, not to be too dismissive but it’s just a cave."