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The Bow

E of Redhythe Point, Portsoy, Aberdeenshire, (Banffshire).

A fine, tall, quite narrow (ca 5m) arch with vertical sides and a 'lintel' tilted about 30 degrees down towards SW.

Its axis runs about NW/SE.

There is another arch (High Bow) above and on its S side which is more easily visible from the land and from the sea approaching from NE.

The Bow Cave entrance goes N from low on its NW side.

Alternate Names: None recorded.

Notes: Access: by sea from N or S in low swell and top 2/3 of tide.

Visible from the cliff edge about 65m N of it.

Note on 'The Bow'. There is no direct historical evidence for this name. However, the OS namebook description of 'Bow Cave' is quite clearly a cave and not an arch, and so a prominent arch named 'The Bow' would make sense, given also 'Bow Rock'. Quite likely 'The Bow' referred to this arch and 'High Bow' together, because of the visibility of the latter.