Naming Cove

Approached from the sea, this upper intertidal cave, midway along the west side of Cleaved Head, appears to face NW. However, once inside, the line of an inner tunnel is aligned NNE with the cliff line to the NNE outside. The E wall of the main tunnel starts parallel to this, but displaced about 4 m ESE from the outside cliff line. The overhead closure is a couple of m. SSW from this displacement. Width at the entrance is 13.4 m.

Before you get to this cave entrance (if approaching from the Tarlair outdoor swimming pool) you pass the low entrance of a small tunnel, also facing NNE, which is a separate cave.

Inside Naming Cove, on the right (W) side, and 11.3 m from the entrance is an inner tunnel which is 16.2 m long. It has a couple of small, rusty stalactites on the west side ceiling. The ceiling of the main chamber is roughly planar, iron stained and dips SSW at about 19 degrees. At the back, the pebble beach rises up to meet it, and then slopes down somewhat. There is a 2.2 m low, and roughly semicircular extension in line with the main tunnel. On the left (E) side of the main tunnel, the wall continues SSW and vertical for about 12.8 m, and then goes off to the left (E) until it meets the back wall. This makes a roughly triangular plan extension at the east back of the cave. There is another small, stumpy, rust coloured stalactite on the ceiling in this chamber. Going to the back wall, and left (E), there is another low extension which extends 5.3 m from the general line of the back wall. There are cave spider webs near the back wall. The main chamber ceiling has quite extensive growths of asplenium marinum - as noted by Wm Forbes.

"We now round the bend of Bog's Loch (1) - a fine sheet of tidal water, which receives its name, perhaps, from a rivulet that falls into it, and has its rise about a mile inland, at Bogswell. If the tide is low, we may scramble over the boulders, and get into the 'Naming Cave ' This cave, doubtless, gets its name from the practice indulged in by visitors of writing their names on the smooth faces of the rock, with a sort of red ochre that is got in little pools, formed by the drip from the ceiling. It is a large lofty apartment, with several smaller chambers branching off to the right. High up in its clefts is to be observed the Asplenium marinum, rooted in the rock, tender, and fresh, and green, in spite of the gloomy and awful environment." [Banffshire Field Club]

(1) This 'loch' is now largely occupied by Tarlair open air, tidal swimming pool. The changing rooms are currently (Sep 24) being refurbished.

by land around the foreshore from the east side of the swimming pool at low tide. May be slippery, particularly if the rocks are not dried by sun.

On 14 August and 7 September 24, 2 and then 4 golf balls were found in this cave - presumed overshoots by golfers attempting the 13th hole of the Royal Tarlair Golf Club.

Links and Resources:

1st Ed OS 25in shows this cave and a tunnel outline which scales at about 21 m.
The OS Namebook for Banffshire, parish of Gamrie has: "Naming Cove - A large natural cavern on the coast Situated between Cleaved Head and the Loch Craig." It gives no clue as to what this name means or why it is so named. But Wm Forbes had an explanation.
Photo 1 entrance(s) looking SE on 6 August 24, near a 3.6 m ACD high tide. Note the low entrance to what is a separate, small cave tunnel. It is not connected to the main cave.
Photo 2 shows that small cave and its inner beach on 24/8/24.
Photo 3 looking into the main cave on 6/8/24. A shadowed extension at back left (SE) is visible. This is the triangular plan chamber mentioned above.
Photo 4 taken from further in, but still not actually inside, and looking SSW. Straight ahead is the inside tunnel on the western side. This side of that tunnel, the right (W) wall and ceiling are a blocky jumble, but left of there, the ceiling is roughly planar, for the most part, and dipping at about 19 degrees from horizontal. 7/9/24.
Photo 5 looking SSW into the west side tunnel from just outside its entrance. 7/9/24.
Photo 6 looking NNE out of the mouth of the west side tunnel. Note the vertical cleavage planes on the cliff outside. These are evident inside in some places. 7/9/24.
Photo 7 looking SSW to the end of the west side tunnel from roughly 40% of the way in. The walls have become planar and vertical. The ceiling in this part has also become planar. The rust colour is from drips from above. 7/9/24.
Photo 8 looking a bit west of north at a rust coloured stalactite a little above centre of frame. 7/9/24
Photo 9 zoomed view of the stalactite. Its a bit hard to make out - there is a vertical one going up to centre, then a bit above that a rather contorted one that goes out horizontally (ish) left, and then down. Rather like a garden tap side on. The rust deposit behind makes it very hard to make out. 7/9/24.
Photo 10 looking out of the west side tunnel from about 8 m in. 7/9/24.
Photo 11 looking across the main tunnel towards the triangular plan east side chamber from just outside the west inner tunnel entrance. 7/9/24.
Photo 12 a zoomed view of the green ferns (asplenium marinum). 7/9/24.
Photo 13 the west wall SSW of the west inner tunnel has big blocks missing. 7/9/24.
Photo 14 looking NW at the west wall and the west side of the main entrance. It is the opposite view from photo 11. The entrance to the west inner tunnel is in the middle, but side on. 7/9/24.
Photo 15 looking at the naturally lit 5.3 m extension, which is just in the east triangular plan chamber. 7/9/24.
Photo 16 a cave spider's web - zoomed portion of photo 13.
Photo 17 the 5.3 m extension showing the end - with some lighting assist. 7/9/24.
Photo 18 looking towards the east end of the triangular plan chamber. The south (R) wall is tilted, and fairly planar, but the NE (L) wall is quite jagged. 7/9/24.
Photo 19 the NE wall, a bit further left from photo 18. Note the small rusty stalactites at top middle.
Photo 20 the stalactite group of the previous photo. 7/9/24.
Photo 21 looking WNW along the back of the main tunnel. Shows the fairly planar surface of the roof dipping left (SSW) by about 19 degrees to horizontal. The beach slopes up at about 14 degrees, but slopes down again to the left. There is low extension about 2.2 m going SSW.
ScotlandsPlaces. OS name book c. 1867. scotlandsplaces.gov.uk/digital-volumes/ordnance-survey-name-books/banffshire-os-name-books-1867-1....
Forbes, William, A Walk along the Sea Braes from Macduff to Gamrie Mohr, in Transactions of the Banffshire Field Club, Thursday, February 28, 1895, p. 9 (with a further brief mention on p. 10).

This entry was last updated: 2024-09-12 20:07:50

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NGR:	NJ 72132 64744
WGS84:	57.67170, -2.46885
Length:	50 m
Vert. Range:	8 m
Altitude:	3 m
Geology:	Macduff Formation - micaceous psammite, semi-pelite and pelite
Tags:	Cave, SeaCave, SAM
Registry:	main

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