Nettle Cave 4

A supratidal sea-cave facing roughly WNW. It has a large, roughly triangular plan cavern, wider towards the left (ESE). It has a 7 m long SE extension in the middle of the back wall. This widens briefly to 3m and then resumes at ca 1.3 m wide at the bottom. In the left (ESE) corner, there is a low tunnel going SE for 4.6 m, zigs SW for 2.9 m, then zags SE for 20.5 m to the end. All this section is walkable and it widens to about 3.5 m near the SE end.

Notes: Access: from beach to the west of the cave at low tide. This can be from the Sandy Creek beach on the E side of Findochty. Then round or through Starling Cave and to the W side of Horse Head.

It seems remarkable that the floor of the last 20.5 m of the long extension tunnel are a) rather level and b) mostly beach rounded pebbles. Active sea-caves with pebble beaches usually go up steeply to a ridge, or series of ridges. They are rarely as flat as this.

Links and Resources:

1st Ed OS 25 in has 'Nettle Caves'. Current OS dot.
Photo 1 by Ann Burgess. This cave is the rightmost (W).
Photo 2 shows the entrances of all four Nettle caves, with #1 on the left (E). Taken 18/7/24 by N Feilden.
Photo 3 entrance taken from the beach, looking over the talus ridge. Taken on 12/6/24.
Photo 4 looking at the right (SW) corner of the entrance cavern. On the left is a small extension estimated at 2 m length.
Photo 5 panned left from photo 4 to look about SE to the sub-entrance to a short 7 m extension tunnel. See photos 9, 10.
Photo 6 panned left from photo 5. Looking E to the corner. The sub-entrance to the long extension tunnel is hidden behind a rock in the wall on the left.
Photo 7 panned left from photo 6. The NE side of the entrance is on the left. A quilted ex-duve has been left in the foreground.
Photo 8 from nearer to the E corner, looking E to the sub-entrance to the long extension tunnel system.
Photo 9 inside the short extension tunnel, looking SE towards the end. The floor appears to be a trackway for some animal.
Photo 10 a look left (NE) from photo 9. The tunnel widens briefly to 3 m on this side.
Photo 11 looking NW back to main entrance from inside the short extension tunnel.
Photo 12 the entrance to the long extension tunnel partly obscured by a boulder.
Photo 13 looking SE along the first leg of the long extension. Knee pads advised. The floor has some beach rolled pebbles, others more angular, from the ceiling.
Photo 14 looking back NW towards the main entrance from inside the first leg of the long extension. The boulder mentioned in the photo 12 description has light coming around both sides of it.
Photo 15 looking SW along the short zig leg before the 20 m zag left.
Photo 16 golden sparkles on the corner between the short zig and the long zag tunnel sections. Looking about E.
Photo 17 looking back NE ish along the zag tunnel. The dark triangle at end right is an extension of the rift - assessed at 2-3 m visually.
Photo 18 looking SE along the 20 m final stretch. Note the levelness of the floor. It has a lot of beach rounded pebbles.
Photo 19 looking up and right from same place as photo 18.
Photo 20 looking SE at the end. It widens a bit on each side. Others have been here.
Photo 21 looking back (NW) along the 20 m tunnel. Shows slight curve to W.

This entry was last updated: 2025-02-14 19:42:05

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

NGR:	NJ 47419 68342
WGS84:	57.70180, -2.88389
Length:	54 m
Vert. Range:	7 m
Altitude:	15 m
Geology:	Cullen Quartzite Formation - quartzite, psammite & semipelite
Tags:	Cave, SeaCave
Registry:	main

Other Sites Within 500m