Grip of Twinely E (cave)

A wide mouthed (15 m), supratidal cave facing NNE. It is half filled with beach. It has speleothems at the back including two pillars, one behind the other. These appear to have beach pebbles joined together in a sort of speleothem conglomerate. There are sheets of calcite deposits on the back wall and other concretions which may also have a calcite matrix.

Notes: Access: by sea W from Gardenstown or E from Tarlair, Macduff and a high tide landing.

Length, VR and width measured 11/7/25 by N Feilden. There is overhang in the cliff above which has not been included. Altitude based on photos and is ACD.

Links and Resources:

Not indicated on any OS map layer.
OS Namebook for the parish of Gamrie, Banffshire: Grip of Twinely - A precipitous rocky point rising almost perpendicular from the sea, west of the Meran Licks.
Photo 1 Looking about SW at entrances. This one is the larger one on the left. Taken 16/7/20 by N Feilden.
Photo 2 entrances looking SSW, from closer. Taken 16/7/20.
Photo 3 entrances taken from a bit further E than photo 2 on 11/7/25 when the tide level was 3.5 m ACD.
Photo 4 as photo 2, but from a bit to the right (W) just after photo 3, before landing.
Photo 5 taken after landing on 11/7/25 from W of the entrances. The larger, east cave, is interesting in that it appears neither to follow a joint, nor to have eroded along a bedding plane, but at roughly rightangles across steeply dipped bedding planes.
Photo 6 shows the two pillars at the back of the cave. The cave extends a short distance beyond the far blue plastic drum.
Photo 7 a zoomed shot of photo 6 to show the pillars and the beach pebbles embedded in them.
Photo 8 panned right from photo 6 to show calcite deposits on the right (W) wall. There appear to be more concretions here too - which I did not properly look at while there.
Photo 9 looking out from inside 11/7/25.

This entry was last updated: 2025-07-16 17:26:39

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NGR:	NJ 76631 64387
WGS84:	57.66875, -2.39339
Length:	23 m
Vert. Range:	6.9 m
Altitude:	7 m
Geology:	Macduff Formation - psammite, gritty
Tags:	Cave, SeaCave
Registry:	main

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