The Bone Caves near Ullapool

The Bone Caves sit above the valley of the Allt nan Uamh, off the A837 south of Inchnadamph. They are called that because excavations turned up the remains of animals that do not live here now — including polar bear. You are walking into a hole in limestone that kept a colder Scotland on file.

The walk

Not long, not a pavement. Rocky, some scrambling, a river to respect when it is up. Decent boots. Turn back if it is sheet ice. This is not a visitor centre with a lift. The caves themselves are a mouth in the crag; you do not need to crawl into the dark to have come to the right place.

Assynt is the bigger day: limestone, Quinag, a lot of sky. Ullapool is the base if you want a bed and a harbour. Ullapool. If you want the indoor version of being out on that hill, Cairngorms is the wrong massif but the right sort of air — or stay local and burn Ullapool when you are back with wet socks.