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3-Gs Cave

Allt nan Uamh, Claonaite Stream Bed, Sutherland.

3-G's Cave (NGR NC 26991 16648) - Named after discoverers - Derek Guy, Peter Glanvill and his daughter Phillipa Glanvill - a flood sink for the Lochan an Claonaite drainage. Pete, Philippa and Derek, after a tourist trip in Uamh an Claonaite on 29th April (2007), found a possible new cave near the main stream sink. It was tentatively called Three G's Cave for lack of a local name. After some digging, banging and more digging, it was declared a cave before the team headed down for libations at the Inch.

A low entrance was previously protected by boulder dam. After couple of metres, a bedding full of mud lay ahead with low crawls to left & right for 2 or 3 metres. A draught was noticed, though there was no walking passage and lot of clearance would have been required. Philippa was confident that it would go. After little progress, in 2012, the area with the main Claonaite sinks changed again. A couple of metres upstream of the crawl entrance that was 3G's Cave, a hole opened in the bank leading down through crumbling sediments to a real cave. During the Mendip Migration, Peter Glanvill borrowed a ladder from Campbell's Cave to descend to a 3 m wide rock arch with phreatic roof pendants. This sloped down for 3m to a slot with a possible high level continuation to the left and a stream entering from the right. A little digging found a draughty crawl, but after a body length of progress slumping of the side - composed of peat & cobbles - encouraged retreat. Further visits opened up the slot & reached a too tight phreatic tube meandering into the distance. Attention was switched to the floor & much mud, peat, sand gravel & boulders was removed to reveal a small heavily filled passage heading downstream. Perhaps a 'wait and see' policy will find the fill gradually flushed out?

3Gs Cave was later re-examined and it was noted water flow was slowly clearing a passage through. Visits in 2013 and early 2014 showed this new hole connected by a tight squeeze to 3Gs Cave. The hole steadily deepened as lower gravels washed out but there were concerns over the unstable peat banks above.

Alternative Names: 3Gs Cave, 3G's Cave, Three G's Cave, Loch an Claonaite Dry Weather Cave

Notes: Personal observations by John Crae. Visits late 2014 to 2016 showed flooding and collapsed peat banks at the sides had blocked the entrances to the lower passage. The heavy flow of water from the stream into the hole effectively made this the main sink for Claonaite. A visit in 2016 was dry but the lower passage was still blocked. Some erosion of the rock face to the south had formed a small 1 m length of passage. No obvious way on. Digging is not an option as the entire stream bed would have to be removed to keep it clear. The flow of the main Claonaite flood stream into the entrance is capable of entirely reshaping the entrance during a single flood event. Regular checks should be made on this entrance.

Geological maps show this cave on a narrow band of Salterella Grit Member - Quartz-arenite between Ghrudaidh Formation - Dolostone to the west and Fucoid Beds Member - Dolomitic Limestone And Argillaceous Rocks to the east.

The Claonaite Valley is part of the Ben More Assynt Site of Special Scientific Interest.

Hydrographic Feeds: Lochan an Claonaite drainage

Hydrographic Resurgences: Uamh an Claonaite, Allt nan Uamh