Cathedral Cave (Tanera Beag)

Spectacular sea cave, walls covered in sponges, cup corals, jewel anemones, tunicates, & hydroids. Shallow dive, great for photographers & large hole in roof allows light into shallows. Depths start at 9 m at entrance & about 4 m at furthest point. In middle, number of boulders, where crabs & squat lobsters can be found. Also great place to see Nudibranchs with number of different species. Not advised to dive cave in SW swell

Notes: For some reason this cave has been referred to in recent years as Conservation Cave. This seems not only puerile pandering to the PC brigade (who do make some good points) but here it is irrelevant as the original name was not religious, merely a statement by the original namer, that the cave interior was like a cathedral - vast and high ceilinged. [I return to the original name in disgust at such blatant meddling with history.]

Although there are reports of stories going round of a hidden chapel where sermons were delivered from a rocky plinth and archway above the cave to locals moored in boats below. [Does anyone believe such twaddle? No one but a fisherman would listen to a sermon on a boat and if they did so they would not need to go to a cave on a lee shore open to the Atlantic swells in order to do so. The story is much more likely at Cathedral Cave on Eigg.]

Somewhere on the shore of Tanera Beag there is also an impressive natural arch where it is possible to sail a small boat through.

Links and Resources:

Oldham, Tony, 2007, Caves of Scotland: A Bibliography, p. 72.
www.geograph.org.uk/photo/3994845. Jim Barton, 14/5/2014.
www.geograph.org.uk/photo/594928 Ian Capper 25/10/2007. Shows that there is a small window and that it is on a promontory.
www.geograph.org.uk/photo/3994853 also by Jim Barton. Note that his NGR is a bit different from the one at the top.
www.pentland-sac.ukdiver.com/psac_summerisles.htm. Kev Watson, Dive the Summer Isles.
Anon, 2006, In the Jellyfish Blender, Conservation Cave, Summer Isles. Diver 51 (4) 28-29, photo.
Dipper, Frances 1981 Sublittoral Survey of the Summer Isles. Underwater Conservation Society / Nature Conservancy Council Report No 365. Cave: Tanera Beg NGR NB 963 069, 26-27. Priest Island N - Archway NGR NB 925 030 29-30. Location map 15. Reference 14.
The other references may be to Cathedral Cave on Eigg.
Steers, J A, 1969 4th edition The Sea Coast. Collins, New Naturalist Series, No 25. London. [1st edition was 1953], quoting MacCulloch, 1819, vol. 2, p. 83.
Donaldson, M E M [Miss] ND [1920] Wanderings in the Western Highlands and Island. p. 257.
Lockhart, J G, 1893, The Life of Sir Walter Scott, Bart, 1771-1832. 806, New Popular, Edition, Adam & Charles Black. p. 286. Sir Walter Scott's visit 26 August 1814.
MacGregor, Alasdair Alpin 1925, reprinted 1937 Behold the Hebrides! or Wayfaring in the Western Isles. p. 177. Murray, W H, 1966 The Hebrides. p. 138 Parker, Olive, 1971 Caves in Scottish History. p. 46.
Redfern, R A, 1973 A mountaineer on Eigg. Climber and Rambler. 12 (9) 371.
Redfern, Roger A, 1966 Rambles in the Hebrides. p. 85.
Simpson, W Douglas, 1967, Portrait of Skye and the Outer Hebrides. p. 102.
Snab. Peter McNab Note books - in GSG records, (Devotion Cave), p. 102.
Statistical Account, 1791-99, Vol. 17, pp. 287-288, Uamba Chrabhuidh (the Cave of Devotion) in which Roman Catholics attend mass.
Sutherland, H, 1939 Hebridean Journey. p. 172.
Urquhart, Judy and Ellington, Eric 1987 Eigg. Canongate Publishing Ltd, Edinburgh. 42 Cathedral Cave and photo.
W L Oban, Guide to Oban . p. 97.

This entry was last updated: 2025-11-22 19:36:06

Errors or omissions in this information? Submit corrections/additions/comments for this entry to the registrars.

NGR:	NB 96150 06900
WGS84:	58.00439, -5.45162
Length:	Not recorded
Vert. Range:	Not recorded
Altitude:	Not recorded
Geology:	Aultbea Formation - sandstone
Tags:	Cave, SeaCave
Registry:	main

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