Walk: Uamh an Tartair – a roaring success

📌 Assynt, Highland
★★★

Although fairly common across much of the UK, limestone is fairly scarce across the Scottish Highlands. However, one such belt lies across Assynt in northwest Scotland, resulting in a smattering of curious caves, sinkholes, dry valleys and springs. Uamh an Tartair (Cave of the Roaring) is a foreboding-looking pothole where the Abhainn a’ Chnocain rushes, foaming, into a dark cleft – the water successfully reappearing a few hundred metres downstream at the Fuaran a’ Ghlinne. A useful hill track leads from the nearest road at Knockan, though the final approach to the cave is across sodden moorland marked by wooden posts. Care should be taken around the pothole (which is obviously not safe to enter!) and the usually dry valley immediately below it due to unguarded drops.

📷 Chronological photo guide

🌍 Location

📌 Start / finish on A835 at Knockan, Elphin

🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NC 211105

🛰️ GPS coordinates: 58.047548,-5.032931

🚌 Extremely infrequent bus stops nearby to north

🚗 Layby, or a bigger one immediately to northeast

📝 Key info

▶ 5 km / 3 mi | ▲ 110 m | ⌛ 1.5 hr

Features: 🕸 Uamh an Tartair; 💧 Fuaran a’ Ghlinne (spring)

⬤ Moderate | Decent approach track, then faint, boggy path for approach to Uamh an Tartair. Start of optional return route via Fuaran a’ Ghlinn is pathless with some steep ground. ⚠️ Unfenced ground around the cave & spring.

➡️ Clockwise lollipop circuit: start – track across Blàr a’ Chuail – wooden posts lead to Uamh an Tartair. Optional return route takes in Fuaran a’ Ghlinne (⚠️ do not follow water course directly – there is a cliff!), then rejoin outward route by track junction 300m further downstream to north

Download file for GPS

🥾 On our last visit

Wildlife: Sheep in adjacent fields, lots of rabbits. Cuckoos heard, No lynx any more, but lots of frogs, bees, magpie moths; shrimp and leech in the spring.

Weather: Sunshine & showers, temperature in low teens.

June 2026