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Dovethirl Cove S

nr Uras Knapps, Fowls Heugh, Catterline, Aberdeenshire, (Kincardineshire).

A seacave with a very tall triangular opening, which soon drops down to a much lower tunnel on the same general direction as Henry's Scorth. After going through this narrows, there is a long straight rift tunnel which goes up narrowly a long way. At 23 Oct 25, the end has not been reached. On 9/9/20, the tide level was 2.2 m ACD and it would have been much more comfortable below this. On 29/8/24 the level was again 2.2 m ACD - see comments re photos 2 and 11.

This cave - which is darker than Henry's Scorth East Cave because the tunnel gets low at about 15 m inside - is also deeper and so is likely the prime candidate on the east coast between Peterhead and Arbroath to be surveyed for its biological condition. See ref 2 below for an earlier survey of St Kilda, North Rona and the east side of Loch Eriboll.

Alternative Names: None recorded.

Notes: Access: by sea only. eg N from Catterline or S from Stonehaven. Best to enter with a low southerly swell and with a tide level not greater than 2.2 m ACD. See photos 5 and 11.

Length is a minimum estimate, based on 100 m + a visual estimate of 40 m 25/8/21, which did not reach to the end of the cave; by Nigel Feilden. The VR is based on the height of the cliff and a photo. Depth at entrance measured 9/9/20 and converted to Alt. On 25/8/21 at 100 m, the depth was 4.9 m on a 0.9 m tide, thus 4.0 m BCD and the LRF measured height 12.0 ACD; width 4.5 m at that water level.

N Feilden's plan for extending the measurement of length in this cave is:

1) On a day when low swell (<0.3 m), particularly from S, is forecast and

2) entry can be made at 2.2 m ACD and ebbing

3) go as far as possible to see if a LDM reading beyond that point can be made and place a buoy there. The tunnel end may or may not be detected here.

4) attach a measuring string to the buoy and unwind the string tying a knot at the side tunnel location (photo 11) and going at least as far as the 65 m arch (photo 5) where another knot should be tied. See GSG Bulletin 544 Mar 23 p17-18 for more information on these methods. An attempt was made on 16/10/25 to execute this plan - but the swell in the first 20 - 30 m of the tunnel made it unwise and impractical. There may have been resonance between swell and the tunnel which did not appear to affect nearby caves nearly so much.

"Two caves, in Fowls Heugh frequented by flocks of blue pigeons." (1)