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The Bone Caves located near the small village of Inchnadamph and Loch Assynt, is a beautiful and popular hiking destination in the West Highlands of Scotland. In these four caves located at the bottom of a limestone cliff were found bones of animals like reindeer, badger, polar bear and arctic fox dating back to the Upper Paleolithic period. Some human bones were found nearby as well, leading geologists to conclude that this was some sort of prehistoric settlement or burial ground. There are no bones in the caves today, but they can be viewed at the Royal Museum of Scotland. A hike to the caves is like taking a step back in time. This out and back 4 km loop takes anywhere from one and a half to three hours depending on your pace and how much you want to stop and stare. We had spent the night in Ullapool as we made our way around the NC 500 and thought it would be a nice day hike. From Ullapool, we followed the A835 to A837 until we reached the small wooden sign which led us to the parking lot. From what we had read, it was best to arrive early as the parking is limited, so we did. There are no amenities, no visitors center or rest rooms here so we came prepared with water and snacks. This is also a free attraction.

Starting from the parking lot, the trail starts out easily past a few unoccupied small buildings until a dramatic rise takes you by the Allt nan Uamh river and waterfall. This was quite a treat in the first ten minutes of the walk. The scenery ahead in all its rugged beauty would be breathtaking.

The landscape really opens up after we climbed the initial rise past the waterfall. We continued along a well-defined albeit narrow and rocky trail along the river, through the limestone valley, totally enjoying the very picturesque surroundings until the river meanders away from the trail and disappears into the landscape. We carried on until we reached the big directional boulder at the fork in the road where we turned right across a dry riverbed. After crossing the riverbed, the terrain becomes much steeper, the trail a lot narrower and the views more stunning.

You can reach the caves by going straight as well since both trails form a loop and rejoin at the big boulder. At this point, we could already see the caves in the distance.

The approach to the caves known as “Crag of the Caves” gets steeper and more harrowing, the drop-offs are quite steep. The total elevation gain for the hike is 230 meters with most of it on this final climb.

On the way back, we decided to complete the loop and rejoin the trail at the big boulder thinking it would be easier. Unless you’re a skilled hiker, I wouldn’t recommend doing this in the rainy season. For us, this part really got our attention, we were walking with a lean towards the cliff face, holding on any where we could. Even though it’s a relatively short walk, good hiking boots are a must.

Overall, this hike is rated as moderate with only the final ascent I would consider challenging where a bit of care should be taken. Despite this, Scotland’s Bone Caves are definitely worth checking out. Click on the following link for location and directions, https://goo.gl/maps/SZTUtF5DJRUxNMib6