Spelunking The Spectacular Spar Cave On The Isle Of Skye In 2026

It took thirty-eight trips to the Isle of Skye to finally make it to Spar Cave and go spelunking, and now it’s one of my favorite attractions in Scotland. This is a very unique spot, accessible only at low tide, and almost no one visits it when they go to the Isle of Skye. Certainly, none of the group tours go to Elgol or Spar Cave.

How to Get to Spar Cave

For some reason, in all the trips I made to the Isle of Skye, I never went down to Elgol on the south end of the island. It’s a remote village with not a lot to do, except for boat trips in the summer and an amazing bakery along the way. Yet I recently heard about Spar Cave near Elgol, so I put it on my itinerary when I went to Skye in March.

Broadford to Elgol

The road to Elgol leaves west from Broadford, about seven miles from where you arrive on the island at the Skye Bridge. Make sure to fill up with fuel in Broadford if you are low, as it’s about 40 miles round-trip to Spar Cave. The entire road is single-track, meaning a single lane for both directions and regular passing spots. This is where many accidents happen, as foreigners forget what side of the road they are supposed to be on. If the passing spot is on the right side of the road, oncoming traffic gets the spot. Never ever pass on the right of an oncoming car.

Halfway to Elgol, make sure to stop at Amy’s Place Cakes and Gifts for excellent coffee and pastries. At least, that’s where I was recommended to visit, but they are closed on Sunday, which is the day I went to Spar Cave.

Elgol to Spar Cave

Once you are in Elgol, follow the curve of the road to the left, where the public toilets and village hall are. The final mile and a half across the peninsula to the “Village” of Glasnakille will look unworldly, which is why they film so many fantasy movies on the Isle of Skye, and why the Isle of Lewis and Harris nearby was used as the scene for Jupiter in Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Just before you cross the cattle guard on the edge of Glasnakille, you’ll see a place to park your car on the right side of the road. From there, it’s only a 5-minute walk to the trail to Spar Cave.

Hiking the Spar Cave trail

From the cattle guard, make a right and walk down the road about 600 feet. On the right, you’ll see the ruins of a stone building and a gate just past that.

Go through the gate and head toward the sea.

Within a couple minutes, the path will fork. Take the left fork.

After another minute, go through the sheep gate.

Make your way down to the geo. A geo is a small cleft from the sea into the cliff face, primarily found in Scotland.

Continue down the path to the second geo. Take care climbing down the rocks to the beach. It’s not particularly difficult, but you don’t want to slip here.

From the geo, you’ll need to climb over the rocks and walk along the ledge at the bottom of the cliffs to the second geo on the left.

As long as the tide is out, it’s quite easy to make your way and stay dry. It only takes a minute or two to reach the geo leading up to Spar Cave.

Do not go to the right. There’s a rocky beach on the right, but that’s not the way to the cave.

Entering the cave

From the water, it only takes about three minutes to navigate around the tide pools and up the beach to the entrance of the cave. Just before the ancient wall that blocked the cave, there’s a fascinating shape in the rocks on the left that looks like a skull, or vaguely like the Grinch.

There are two caves, although the one on the right is barely more than a small cavity in the cliff. Spar Cave is the entrance on the left.

After a few steps, you’ll have a steep slope to the top of the cave. Don’t worry, as long as you have good shoes, you can easily walk up the slope, as the calcite is not slippery at all. It takes a minute or two to reach the top, where you’ll find a small, shallow pool. You can swim here for a truly unique experience.

Getting down is just as easy as climbing up. Like any rock climber, trust in your shoes, and you’ll have no problem clinging to the rock in your descent. As long as you didn’t spend too much time in the cave, the tide should still be out, and you can retrace your route back up to the road.

History of the Cave

Stories of Spar Cave date back over a millennium. One legend mentions a princess who fell in love with a rival chief’s son and took refuge in the cave after giving birth, leading to the other name of the cave – Sloc an Altramain, meaning the Nursing Cave.

Sir Walter Scott also visited the cave in the early 19th century and mentioned it in his poem The Lord of the Isles. Scott had to use a rope to climb over the wall protecting the cave. The following year, a passing fisherman blew a hole in the wall with a cannon.

Before I visited, I had no idea that Bear Grylls had even brought Ben Stiller to spend a night in the cave. Although the path to the cave is relatively easy, nothing is marked, the timing around the tides must be perfect, and the climb inside the cave is not for the faint of heart. It’s easy, but only if you trust in the calcite to grip your shoes as you climb the steep walls.

What to Know when Spelunking Spar Cave

The most important thing to know when hiking to Spar Cave is that you can only visit at low tide. Hike down the trail roughly an hour before low tide, and don’t spend more than two hours at the cave. If the tide comes back in, getting back from the cave gets treacherous, and you don’t want to be rescued or wait 12 hours until the tide goes back out.

Obviously, the cave is pitch black, so you’ll need to bring a flashlight (called a torch in the UK). Your phone should work, but it’s better to bring a headlamp or something similar. This will also come in handy if you want to take better photos in the cave. However, the flash, especially one on your phone, can also create a misty look to your photos.

Take your footwear into consideration. Flip flops (sandals) aren’t the best idea. At a minimum, wear sandals with straps or a good pair of hiking boots with a good grip. Personally, I swear by my Skinners water shoes. Not only are they compact for easy travel, but they’re great for so many purposes. I’ve used them for hiking, workouts, beach trips, or just wandering the streets of Thailand.

Finally, take the weather into consideration. If it’s windy or rainy, the trail could get muddy, the waves could be bigger, and the rocks could be more slippery. Generally, the hike to Spar Cave is relatively easy, but common sense is always necessary. I know it’s quite the detour from the main routes through Skye. If you arrive and the conditions aren’t right, don’t take your chances. Keep this spot safe and available for future visitors.

Further Reading

If you’re visiting Scotland and looking for more to do than just visiting the Isle of Skye, here are some other activities you might enjoy.