Description:

The north of Scotland houses many a mystery, but perhaps none more intriguing than that of the Bone Caves. Rewind 18,000 years and this landscape – along with much of the UK – was gripped in the clutches of Britain’s last ice age, and dominated by large apex predators, such as lynx, wolves and even polar bears.

A rocky trail leads to the imposing cliff at Creag nan Uamh and its four main caves. There is a warning along the way of the potential risk of rock falls and the ground drops steeply away on one side of the narrow path as it nears the cliff.

At the entrance to the caves, water drips down from the sheer rockface above. There are views out over the barren hills to the valley below and the rushing waters of Allt na Uamh stream.

Unlike the surrounding lands, the elevated and retreated position of the caves left them untouched by the vast ice sheets that scraped their way through the valleys below. And so it was that in 1927 cavers excavated the bones of what is now understood to be the remains of the last-known wild polar bear in Britain.

Now protected by Scottish Natural Heritage, these caves offer a unique window into Scotland’s prehistoric past and complex geology, and provide a great focal point for a winter wander.

And the views? FanTAStic!!!