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Chamber Pot [Appin]

Appin, Coire Sheileach, Argyllshire.

Pot. Most easily found by contouring from Uamh Coire Sheileach. Entrance at foot of shallow depression running downhill at edge of limestone. Steep rift has 2 openings to surface with stream falling into upper. Entry easiest at lower hole. Steep descent over loose jagged rock passes under falling stream then spirals down through more loose rock to short tubular crawl into side of large chamber, 5 m x 10 m formed by breakdown. End s in mnumental wall of gargantuan boulders. Stream flows across floor & vanishes into low innacessible crawl under boulders. To left narrow gap between two boulders leads to small boulder chamber with many extremely unstable boulders.

Used to end in extremely loose & discouraging void. In 1985, found to have collapsed or been persuaded to collapse & became longest & one of deepest caves in Appin. Entrance series, well watered, through boulder ruckle which is more stable than it looks to former terminal chamber. Hole, down on left at far end, enters steeply descending ramp to twisting stream passage. & sump. Upper series very complex with some of better formations in Appin.

Alternate Names: Seomar (Poll)

Notes: Explored by GSG, 1974. Brief mention in Area Meets Reports (GSG Bull. 1985). In April, Malcolm MacConville, Malcolm Stewart & Alasdair MacPherson fed up digging Magnum Pot, went uphill & rediscovered Chamber Pot with vast extensions. Joined by others main passages explored & surveyed.

Jim Salvona noted "Ivan phoned Friday night: Malcolm & Alastair, discovered open pot above Magnum (Chamber Pot) but this goes & goes! Ivan, Malc, & I surveyed what we explored but much still remains. Simple dig opened route into chamber with fissure below. Depth 100+' [140'], length surveyed 100' Stalagmites, columns, helictites, flowstone, three streams, steep flatteners, bats [Bat Brae], canyons, pitches, waterfalls. Approx. 100' of extensions including 40' link up to 'Bat Brae' & down to edge of 'holestone' pot. High level passage in canyon plus chamber at end above boulders i.e. 30' to roof. Bottomed concealed canyon & climbed waterfall. 17' dug into chamber at earth crawls, 15' long in breakdown." He also assisted in dig at terminal sump & explored oxbow passage near small waterfall.