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White Cave [Barlocco]

Dundrennan, Barlocco, Dumfries & Galloway.

Cave.

'... in the rocks on the coast, at Barlocco, are two spacious caverns of romantic appearance, called the White and Black Cove. ' [Topographical Dictionary]

'On the Barlocco shore there are two caves, one called the White and the other the Black Cave. The entrance to the first is very high, which is not so with the other.' [McKerlie]

'Further west [of Barlocco Bay], we have the great caves of Barlocco (OS Map ref NX 796 472), the largest on the Galloway coast. The Black Cave entrance is 60 feet [20 m] high; it is 256 feet [84 m] deep and 150 feet [50 m] broad at the extreme end. The White cave is 252 feet deep [83 m].' [Solway Smuggling]

The sea coast in this neighbourhood merits the attention of the mineralogist, the natural philosopher and the painter. Two caverns upon the Barlocco Shore called the White and Black Cave are particularly worthy of notice. The entrance to the former is as lofty as the "mast of some great Ammiral (sic)"' and its vast extent reminds the spectator of the airy and echoing Halls of Fingal in Staffa. The Black Cave is of an opposite and gloomy character, and its dark caverns would form no unfit habitation for the water kelpy or Spirit of the Solway.' [Chalmers]

On the wild wave-beaten coast the remarkable Caves of Barlocco were visited, the party being let down the cliffs by means of ropes and ladders furnished by the tenant of Barlocco, whose sons assisted in the process. The Black Cave, which is 256 feet [84 m] long, 90 feet [30 m] wide, and 40 feet [13.3 m] in height, was first entered. It is a vaulted chamber, floored with shingle, and huge boulders are strewn about it. At the extreme upper end there is a little space above high-water mark whereon numerous rock-pigeons breed. [TDGNHAS]

'The White Cave was next entered. It is perhaps the most wonderful natural formation in Galloway. The "gateway" is a vast gothic arch, through which you pass into a magnificent temple "not made with hands." The flooring of the cave is composed of pieces of granite rounded to pebbles by the attrition of the tides, and the roof which rises gradually, was decorated with the luxurious fronds of Sea Spleenwort. The length of the cave is 252 feet; greatest width, 190 feet; height, 60 feet. Nobody who has not visited these caves can form any idea of their grandeur. They are not inferior to Fingal's in any particular, except that of the regularity of the strata forming the sides of the latter. Along the romantic shore some very fine corallines were observed, and Mr F.W. Grierson captured the rare Oil Beetle (Melve pro Scaraboeus) ... The Hartstongue Fern was discovered, growing in thousands, by Mr J.W. Kerr in a little dell at the top of the cliffs. [TAJOTPOTDAGSNHAAS]

Alternate Names: None recorded.

Notes: Some confusion over caves of Barlocco as although two large caves - the Black Cave and the White Cave are recorded there are no good descriptions and there are actually three large caves at Barlocco.