Mathers Castle Cave [SW entrance]

An upper intertidal cave system of three tunnels across the Kaim (promontory) and one which runs axially along it, crossing the two southern tunnels and just breaking through into the north tunnel.

The north cross tunnel is 5.1 m wide and 5.2 m floor to arch. It runs about WNW and has some shallow rock pools in it.

The middle and south cross tunnels are separate on the E side of the axial rift, running approx E/W. On the W side of the rift, they have merged by not having a dividing wall of rock between them. The mid tunnel rift is open to the top on the W side of the axial tunnel. The middle cross tunnel goes from its E entrance into a mini geo which stops short in the wave cut platform - suggesting that was once the end of it and that it grew from the W entrance. The S cross tunnel, by contrast, goes E into a channel out to sea; suggesting that it may have grown from E to W.

The axial rift runs from the W side of the SW end of the Kaim all the way to the N cross tunnel. It is open to the sky almost up to its intersection with the S cross tunnel. Thus the SW corner of the Kaim, on which the castle ruin stands, is a flying buttress type of arch.

This Kaim or promontory is unusual, and may be unique, in having 3 tunnels through it and all linked by a fourth one axially. The Riddled Kaim (E of Pennan) also has three tunnels through it, but they are separate.

Notes: Access: from E or W at low tide. From the cliff-top car park just S of St Cyrus, go down the cliff path and go north to the end of the sand beach and make your way across the rocky foreshore to the Kaim where this entrance is the first you will see.

Links and Resources:

The first Ed 25" shows two cross tunnels, but no axial tunnel. The current OS is slightly better, except that the continuation of the axial rift to the N cross tunnel is not indicated; also the outline of the Kaim is hard to make out.
Canmore site record for the castle/tower house above.
Sketch Plan over Canmore Aerial view near high tide.
Photo 1 is an oblique aerial view of Kaim of Mathers from just seaward of the S end of the Kaim.
Photo 2 is the same as Photo 1, but with the E entrances of the cross tunnels indicated, as well as the S end of the rift tunnel.
Photo 3 looks E into the SW entrance to the middle and S cross tunnels. The tower house is directly above.
Photo 4 shows all three E entrances, and looks through the N one. The top of the tower house is visible.
Photo 5 looking through the N cross tunnel/arch from its NW end. The axial rift tunnel ends 8.8 m from the corner on the R.
Photo 6 looking SSW at the end of the axial rift tunnel in the S wall of the N cross tunnel.
Photo 7 looking SSW into the N end of the axial rift tunnel.
Photo 8 looking NNE along the axial rift tunnel from its intersection with the middle cross tunnel.
Photo 9 looking E through the middle tunnel to the end of its channel in the wave-cut platform on the E side of the Kaim. It looks as if this tunnel was eroded eastward. It can be climbed out of on the right.
Photo 10 looking SSW by W out of the axial rift and upwards. The rock stuck at the top is also visible in photo 1.
Photo 11 looking E into the S cross tunnel which curves a bit left to begin with.
Photo 12 looking E through the S cross tunnel which opens to a channel from the sea. It is 4.1 m from the dividing pillar to the tunnel E entrance.

This entry was last updated: 2025-12-29 19:13:48

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NGR:	NO 76298 64908
WGS84:	56.77514, -2.38944
Length:	48 m
Vert. Range:	20 m
Altitude:	2 m
Geology:	Montrose Volcanic Formation - Andesite & Basalt
Tags:	Cave, Arch, SeaCave, NNR
Registry:	main

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