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Durness · Nature
Smoo Cave
Smoo Cave offers two quite different family visits: a free walk into the waterfall chamber and a separate seasonal guided tour involving ladders, stepping stones and a river raft. Under-fours cannot join the tour.
- Best fit
- Primary-age children and older · free section for younger children
- Cost
- Free walkway · paid guided tour
- Weather
- Tours depend on water levels
- Allow
- Short stop · tour adds about 30 minutes plus any wait
Our family take
Choose Smoo Cave for a dramatic short stop that feels genuinely different from the beaches and viewpoints around Durness. Older children can add the guided tour when it is operating and the physical route suits them.
- Weather. High water can stop tours, even on a dry day. Call the weatherline before travelling if the tour is the reason for your visit.
The practical details
Plan your visit
- Free access
- The public walkway to the waterfall chamber is free and open year-round. Follow any local restrictions when water levels are high.
- Tour cost and ages
- £15 per adult and £5 for ages 4–15, cash only. Under-fours and dogs cannot join. Check current prices before travelling.
- Booking and season
- No advance booking. Tours usually run daily from April to October when water levels allow. Call the weatherline on 01971 511492 for the daily update.
- Visit length
- About 10 minutes to walk to the waterfall chamber. The optional tour takes about 30 minutes; allow time for any wait and the return walk.
- Parking and toilets
- Car and coach parking, public toilets, an interpretation area and a viewing bridge are on the cliff top. The cave is reached on foot.
- Prams and access
- A pram is not a realistic cave plan. The guided tour involves ladders, a raft and uneven ground; contact the operator if mobility needs will decide your visit.
- Footwear
- Wear sensible footwear with grip for rocky, uneven and wet cave surfaces.
ParkingToiletsBuggy limitsCoach parkingFree walkway to waterfall chamberInterpretation Area
2 October 2026
Check cave and tour information (official)A little more detail
Make it work for your family
The free cave visit or guided tour?
The free cave visit
The free version takes families along the public walkway to the waterfall chamber. It gives children the scale, sound and waterfall atmosphere without committing to ladders or a boat.
This is the better plan for preschoolers and short attention spans. If tours are cancelled, check the conditions before continuing to the waterfall chamber.
The guided tour
The tour continues from the main chamber across the wooden walkway, down ladders into a river raft and on to a natural stream passage using stepping stones. It lasts about 30 minutes.
Children need to cope with protective headgear, ladders, wet uneven ground and getting in and out of the raft. Think about whether your child will enjoy all of that before joining.
Younger children, prams and access
For four- and five-year-olds, decide whether ladders, a cave raft and uneven ground will feel exciting or overwhelming. Being old enough for the tour does not mean it will suit every child.
For the free section, a carrier may be more practical than a buggy. Only continue if you are comfortable with the surfaces and conditions, and turn back if water makes the route unsafe.
Weather and paying on the day
Rain across the wider catchment and strong south-westerly wind can raise water levels inside the cave. An apparently dry day at the car park does not guarantee that tours will run.
The weather message line is updated each morning. Check it on the day, and bring cash if you hope to tour; there is no signal for card payments inside the cave. The nearest ATM is at the Spar shop by Sango Sands campsite in Durness.
Bring waterproof layers and keep another plan for poor weather. The cave should not be your only rainy-day option.
Fit it into a Durness day
Use Durness for food and wider facilities. Smoo works as a memorable route stop alongside the beaches and viewpoints around the village; leave room in your plans for the free chamber alone if the tour is not running.
Plan the rest of your day
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