Arch of the Knee

Duncansby Head, John o' Groats, Caithness.

NGR:	ND 40643 72845
WGS84:	58.63941, -3.02419
Length:	10 m
Vert. Range:	Not recorded
Altitude:	5 m
Geology:	Mey Flagstone Formation - sandstone, siltstone, mudstone
Tags:	Arch
Registry:	main

A small upper intertidal arch in the NE corner of The Knee (stack). The tunnel is not straight as it consists of two short sections at right angles. In this it is similar to the Geo of Sclaites arch and *cave (N of Geo of Sclaites 2) although these are much bigger.

Alternative Names: None recorded.

Notes: Access: by sea eg E round Duncansby Head from harbour N of John O' Groats at ND 37982 73468. This would best be done near the end of the flood tide so that the return can be made during slack high tide, or at the very beginning of the ebb.

NGR is for the N entrance. E entrance at ND 40642 72835.

Links and Resources:

Not indicated on any OS map layer.
Photo 1 shows the north face of The Knee and light shining through the arch on 23 June 24.
Photo 2 close up of the E entrance on 23 June 24. It looks as though there may be a supratidal cave higher up.

This entry was last updated: 2025-12-16 20:46:02

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

All database content Copyright 2026 Grampian Speleological Group.
Web Registry software by Matt Voysey.