Earthwatcher's photos with the keyword: Durness

Watching sea birds from the eastern end of Geodha Smoo, near Durness.

A view eastwards over the palaeo wave-cut platform of the Durness Group limestones from the eastern end of the Geodha Smoo inlet, near Durness. The terracing and some of the smoothly planed-off surfaces suggest some sort of quarrying activity, possibly for chert as well as limestone. I can't find any references about such activity here, so please drop me a note if you have any more information, thanks!

Sea thrift growing in an enlarged fissure in the Durness Group limestones on the palaeo wave-cut platform at the eastern end of the Geodha Smoo inlet.

At the eastern end of Geodha Smoo in the Durness Group limestones, is a curious limestone breccia, colloquially known as 'leopard rock'. The origin of the breccia is obscure; possibly due to bioturbation (burrowing) or a thrombolite (bacterial mounds/concretions) - although to me it doesn't particularly look like these. Possibly the angularity of the clasts points towards a diagenetic origin, i.e. when the lime-rich muds were undergoing burial and mineralisation to form the hard rock we see today.

At the eastern end of Geodha Smoo in the Durness Group limestones, is a curious limestone breccia, colloquially known as 'leopard rock'. The origin of the breccia is obscure; possibly due to bioturbation (burrowing) or a thrombolite (bacterial mounds/concretions) - although to me it doesn't particularly look like these. Possibly the angularity of the clasts points towards a diagenetic origin, i.e. when the lime-rich muds were undergoing burial and mineralisation to form the hard rock we see today.

The eastern end of Geodha Smoo inlet near Durness has terraces and palaeo wave-cut platforms, some of which appear to have been worked, possibly for chert (the white/pale grey bands) as well as limestone.

Another view of Smoo Cave from the footpath on the east side of the Geodha Smoo inlet.

A zoomed-in view westwards over the wave-cut platform to towards Faraid Head from the eastern end of the Geodha Smoo inlet.

A view westwards over the palaeo wave-cut platform to towards Faraid Head from the eastern end of the Geodha Smoo inlet.

A zoomed-in view eastwards over the palaeo wave-cut platform to towards Whiten Head from the eastern end of the Geodha Smoo inlet, near Durness.

A view eastwards over the palaeo wave-cut platform to towards Whiten Head from the eastern end of the Geodha Smoo inlet, near Durness.

A view of Smoo Cave from the footpath on the east side of the Geodha Smoo inlet.

A view of Smoo Cave entrance taken from the footbridge over the Allt Smoo.

A view of Smoo Cave entrance from the east side of the Geodha Smoo inlet.

A view of Smoo Cave entrance from the east side of the Geodha Smoo inlet.

A closer view through the 'window' in the side of a sink hole showing the Allt Smoo cascading down a second sink hole into Smoo Cave.

View southwards showing the northerly flowing Allt Smoo disappearing down a sink hole (beneath the bridge) into Smoo Cave. In the foreground a nearer sink hole has a 'window' connecting to the other sink hole down which the river cascades.