Directions on how to find Scoor Cave
I was very lucky to be given good directions on how to find Scoor Cave, so I thought I would share them. The Ross of Mull is a couple of hours drive from Treshnish, but there is lots to explore. Scoor Cave is one of its lesser known places, but so worth the scramble to find it.
Scoor Cave sits just above the tide line, along the shore, between Scoor and Kilvickeon beaches.
How to find Scoor Cave
Once on the Ross of Mull, just after Bunessan School, you take the rough track towards Scoor House along Loch Assapol and park near the ruins of Kilvickeon Church. Walk towards Scoor House/Farm and take the track off to the right before you reach the first cottage on the track. There is a signpost saying Scoor Beach. Follow that path, through a gate and round the back of the second cottage, across a burn and on towards the sea.
A few hundred yards ahead the path to the beach goes to the left. You can see a gully dropping away towards the sea to your right. Check your map at this stage. The cave is marked on the OS Map. The gully is damp with a small burn running down it. A bit of a scramble, but we managed it after a wet spell in ordinary walking boots. About half way down you will see some rusting farm machinery. Once you get within a few yards of the shore, turn to your left. Walk through a gap between two rock faces. You will see the darkness of the cave beyond it. It is quite well concealed. And if you didn’t know it was there you might miss it.
What is so special about Scoor Cave
The narrow entrance to the area around the cave gives it a lovely secret feel. Geologically it is beautiful. Rocks are mainly Moine schists and quartzites. To a non geologist like me, the slabs of rock appear molten, folded in curving shapes. Inside the cave they form what is almost like a vaulted ceiling. Stunning.
Rock carvings
There are lots of prehistoric cup markings as well as more recent (6th to 9th century) early Christian crosses, labyrinths and tridents. It really is a wonderful place. And the cave itself is light and dry. I could imagine sheltering in there with a fire to keep you warm.
Don’t forget the beaches!
Scoor and Kilvickeon are both beautiful beaches of white sand. Keep your dogs on leads and be aware that cattle graze on and near Kilvickeon beach.
