Walking the cliffs, part 2.

So……….picking up where I left off yesterday. Once past the little wooden fence and the rather scary bit where you see the path collapsed into the sea, you round the corner and Dickmont den comes into view. 

This is a deep inlet in the cliff with a small island at the entrance. This was the major ‘dropping off’ stop for the smugglers. There are narrow slit caves in the cliff almost at sea level. 

These let light into the large cave above the shore which was used by the smugglers to hide their goods. This cave is linked to the sea by a tunnel and this was their anchorage. 

The steep narrow track from the cliff top to the tunnels is still there today, but its dangerous, overgrown and out of bounds to all but the most reckless. After Dickmont Den, the footpath rises slightly giving more excellent views of the sea and the cliff face. 

And then, the long narrow stretch of grassy cliff top, complete with conveniently placed bench seat comes into view.  I sat myself there for a while watching the sea. 

August and September are good months to catch site of the dolphins swimming north to the Moray Firth, and today was a good day to dolphin watch. I spotted a pair swimming north, they were not playing and jumping, they only surfaced to get air and then carried on with their journey. Again, I wished for a good camera. With a good camera I could happily sit on that little bench, maybe take a picnic and admire the views waiting for the perfect photo opportunity. I didn’t bother even trying to get photos yesterday. The dolphins were too far out and my camera is not up to the job. 

This bench, beside being the place to dolphin spot, gives wonderful views of the stack known as De’ils’s Heid ( Devils Head). It was here that a new cave was discovered a couple of years ago. This cave was completely hidden from view, someone had filled in the hole in the cliff face leaving space to fit a door and porthole window with a roomy ‘cave’ space behind. This was then carpeted and fitted with furniture. There was a sturdy rope, chain and wood ladder from the cave ‘door’ to the sea below. So far, the ‘owner’ of this cave has not been found but the ladder has been removed to protect the public from their own stupidity. The long split running through the rock at the base of the De’il’s Heid is known as ‘the three story house’. This split widens and narrows along its length and only at its narrowest points can it be crossed.
Before I left home I had made a mental note of how far I wanted to go. My chosen destination for that day was a place called Maiden Castle. It’s not actually a castle; it is the ancient remains of a cliff top defensive settlement or fort. When I have shown people pictures of this in the past their automatic reaction is ‘oh that’s a long barrow, an ancient burial place’. I can see why they would think this, but its not, it’s a fort used by Iron Age people as a defensive dwelling place.  As you turn a corner in the cliff top path, Maiden Castle comes into view. 

And that is it for now.  I will continue with the tale of Maiden castle later.