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Swallow Cove (S entrance)

Maw's Heugh, Kinneff, Aberdeenshire, Kincardineshire.

A cave system consisting of one large (S), one smaller (N) rectangular alcoves joined by a rift tunnel. The tunnel was entered from the N entrance on 27 Feb 21 near a 4.5m high tide. Narrow at that entrance, it widened and after about 40m turned 10-15 deg R from where light could be seen from the S entrance. It looked rather tight on headroom so I went back, able to just turn round and went round to the S entrance. It was not flat enough to go very, close and was also short of depth on the approach.

On 3 Mar 21 a second visit near a 0.8m low tide showed that the approach to this entrance is blocked by rocks until fairly near HW.

There are a number of caves on this coast whose tunnels run roughly parallel to the cliff face - such as Henry's Scorth East, Dovethirl N and S, Hope Cove - but (so far) just two where the tunnel has an entrance at each end. The other one is the 'H' cave at the N end of Fowlsheugh.

Alternate Names: None recorded.

Notes: Access: By sea only. Probably best near HW.

Alt is of this entrance. The N entrance is subtidal.

Bearing in mind that there are many caves on this coast - such as Trough Cove - where the namebook makes it clear that 'cove' = cave, the OS namebook describes 'Swallow Cove' thus: "A Small cove on the coast near the north end of Maws Heugh." This is ambiguous - but is more like a cave than an inlet.