In the cliffs at the back of the bay called
Camas nan Clacha Mora (the bay of the large stones), tucked in below the heights of Ben Hiant, there are three caves. All are above the shingle beach and out of reach of the storm waves, the first two slightly higher above the sea than the third. All show some signs of habitation and offer stunning views across the Sound of Mull to Tobermory and Morvern.
The first only goes back a few feet and is the dampest of the three, but it has a low stone wall along the front suggesting that someone found a use for it. Since there are plenty of signs of old agricultural workings - broken walls and piles of stones removed from tiny fields - it may have been no more than a small sheep enclosure.
The second, a few metres east of the first, shows signs of recent habitation, including the sort of orange plastic bag using by campers to keep sleeping bags dry. In fact the cave is reasonably dry even though it's not as deep as the first. The two logs leaning against it might have supported a tarpaulin or plastic sheet to keep out the westerly rain.
The third is by far the most substantial, and stands right at the top of the beach. In the recent past, it was the seasonal home of a man who appeared each summer to live a hermit's life. It's spacious, airy and, most importantly, by far the driest of the three. It has several ledges which might serve as beds and an impressively large and robust bird's nest to the upper left of the entrance.
All three have easy access to fresh running water and shower facilities. The beach is probably the best on the peninsula for drift wood, and all sorts of other useful items are washed up along it, including plastic containers, nets, fishing buoys and boxes, tyres, rope and a Calor gas cylinder.
In the cliffs at the back of the bay called Camas nan Clacha Mora (the bay of the large stones), tucked in below the heights of Ben Hiant, there are three caves. All are above the shingle beach and out of reach of the storm waves, the first two slightly higher above the sea than the third. All show some signs of habitation and offer stunning views across the Sound of Mull to Tobermory and Morvern.
The first only goes back a few feet and is the dampest of the three, but it has a low stone wall along the front suggesting that someone found a use for it. Since there are plenty of signs of old agricultural workings - broken walls and piles of stones removed from tiny fields - it may have been no more than a small sheep enclosure.
The second, a few metres east of the first, shows signs of recent habitation, including the sort of orange plastic bag using by campers to keep sleeping bags dry. In fact the cave is reasonably dry even though it's not as deep as the first. The two logs leaning against it might have supported a tarpaulin or plastic sheet to keep out the westerly rain.
The third is by far the most substantial, and stands right at the top of the beach. In the recent past, it was the seasonal home of a man who appeared each summer to live a hermit's life. It's spacious, airy and, most importantly, by far the driest of the three. It has several ledges which might serve as beds and an impressively large and robust bird's nest to the upper left of the entrance.
All three have easy access to fresh running water and shower facilities. The beach is probably the best on the peninsula for drift wood, and all sorts of other useful items are washed up along it, including plastic containers, nets, fishing buoys and boxes, tyres, rope and a Calor gas cylinder.
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