64763 BoneCaves.qxp 8/9/08 15:10 Page 1

Fox's Den Saobhaidh Sionnaich

Gu Innis nan Damh 1.5 mìle BoneCave Uamh nan Cnàmhan Ionad Àlaich an Èisg Reindeer Cave Eas } Beinn nan Uamh nan Rèin-fhiadh Cnàimhseag 568 Crò-chaorach Fuaran Allt Badger Cave A nan Uamh llt na n U Uamh nam Broc am

h Pàirc Chàraichean

Àirighean

UAMHAN

Gu Ceangal an Leathaid Mhòir 2.5 mìle

N The significance of the Bone Caves is recognised by their designation as an Ancient Monument by Historic

WE and as a Site of Special Scientific Interest by Scottish Natural Heritage. Please respect this important site.

Tha Uamhan nan Cnàmh air an ainmeachadh le Alba Eachdraidheil mar Làrach Eachdraidheil agus le There is a good 2km/1 mile path from the car park at the fish hatchery to the Bone Caves but it Tha ceum math 2 chilimeatair/mìle a dh'fhaid a' dol bho phàirc nan càraichean aig ionad-àlaich Dualchas Nàdair na h-Alba mar Ionad de Shuim does go over some rough and steep ground so please take care at all times. Similarly, though the an èisg gu Uamhan nan Cnàmhan ach tha e caran garbh is cas ann an cuid de dh'àitichean Shònraichte Shaidheansail, airson cho cudromach agus caves' entrance chambers may be examined standing up, care should be taken at the rear of agus feumaidh duine a bhith faiceallach fad na h-ùine. Cuideachd, faodaidh duine na sheasamh Reindeer Cave where it drops down to a crawl way. sùil a thoirt air beul nan uamhan ach bi faiceallach aig cùl Uamh nan Rèin-fhiadh far am feum thu a tha iad. Measaibh iad prìseil. a dhol air do mhàgaran.

Field vole (identification not confirmed) Hare Mammals Northern lynx Northern vole (identification not confirmed) Mamailean Otter Arctic fox Sionnach geal Ox Famhalan feòir (dearbhadh neo-dhaingnichte) Arctic or Collared lemming Lemming geal Rat vole Pig Geàrr Badger Broc Reindeer Polar bear Lioncs Tuathach Bank vole Famhalan bruaiche Stoat Rabbit Famhalan Tuathach (dearbhadh neo-dhaingnichte) Brown bear Mathan donn Tundra vole Biast dhubh Common shrew Dallag fheòir Water vole Damh Weasel Muc Wild cat Mathan bàn Wolf Famhalan radain Coineanach Wood mouse Rèin-fhiadh Neas Famhalan tundra List of Species recorded from excavations at the Bone Caves Famhalan uisge (compiled by Tim Lawson in 1996) Neas bheag Cat fiadhaich Madadh allaidh Luch choille Cathan Liosta de ghnèathan air an claradh à cladhaich aig Uamhan nan Cnàmhan Barnacle goose Breacan-beithe (air a cur ri chèile le Tim Lawson ann an 1996) Chaffinch Lach bheag dhubh Common scoter Lach mhòr Eider duck Feadag bhuidhe Eile Golden plover Feadag ghlas Grey plover Colcach bheag Little auk Lach bhinn Fish Iasg Frog Losgann Long tailed duck Tunnag fhiadhaich Natterjack toad Mallard Eala bhàn (this is from an old record but the Muile-mhàg an druim bhuidhe ('s ann às seann chùnntas a tha seo, Mute swan Tàrmachan material is not available to check) ach chan eil an stuth ri fhaotainn gus Ptarmigan Buthaid Salmon or trout Toad dearbhadh a dhèanamh) Puffin Cearc fhraoich Man (two separate sets of remains) Bradan no breac Red grouse Lach bheag Muile-mhàg Teal Lach sgumanach Duine (dà dhust eadar-dhealaichte) Birds Tufted duck Glas-lach Eòin Others Wigeon

Loch an Inbhir Innis nan Damh These four north facing Bone Caves of the Inchnadamph National Nature Reserve look out from the base of the limestone Creag nan Uamh over the Allt nan Uamh glen. At the head of the glen, the ancient calving grounds Ulapul Inchnadamph of the reindeer are seen on the slopes of Breabag. Bone Caves Reindeer Cave and Bone Cave are connected by a narrow Geàrrloch i passage which children can crawl through. INVERNESS The caves give us a unique glimpse back in time revealing © Wendy Price Cartographic Services INBHIR NIS Uamhan nan Cnàmhan what animals lived here during the last 45,000 years. From The Bone Caves are situated 4km/2 miles south of Inchnadamph on the A837. arctic polar bears and northern lynx, many different Tha Uamhan nan Cnàmhan 4 cilimeatair/2 mhìle deas animals have left their mark on the Bone Caves of Creag air Innis nan Damh air an A837. Innis nan Damh nan Uamh. Join us on a journey to explore their fascinating Scottish Natural Heritage Dualchas Nàdair na h-Alba history. North Area Sgire Creann a Tuath 17 Pulteney Street na Gaidhealtachd ULLAPOOL 17 Sràid Pholtananaidh Wester Ross ULAPUL IV26 2UP IV26 2UP t: 01854 613418 fon: 01854 613418 f: 01854 613419 facs: 01854 613419 Lioncs The Inchnadamph Bone Caves skull/Claigeann

Working with Scotland's people to care for our natural heritage Lynx Uamhan nan Cnàmhan, Innis nan Damh Ag obair còmhla ri muinntir Alba airson ar dualchas nàdarra a ghleidheadh Bàn Lynx/Lioncs,

Mathan Tha na ceithir uamhan chnàmhan ann an Tèarmann Nàdair Innis nan Damh a' coimhead gu tuath

Cnàmhan, bho bhonn Creag nan Uamh a-null thar gleann Allt nan Cnàmh. Tha Creag nan Uamh air a dèanamh de nan

Claigeann chloich-aoil. Aig ceann a' ghlinne chithear seann àitichean breith nan rèin-fhiadh air leòidean Bhreabaig.

Tha trannsa cumhang a' ceangal Uamh nan Rèin-fhiadh agus Uamh nan Cnàmhan agus gheibh clann air a dhol

Photography/Dealbhan Lorne Gill/SNH, Neil McIntyre, Laurie Campbell, Alan Ross, Pete Cairns, David troimhe air am màgaran. Skull/Samhail Bell/ECOS, Bryan & Cherry Alexander Photography, Jan Breckenridge, British Geological Survey © NERC. Caves/Uamhan Bone fragment photographs/Dealbhan phìosan de chàmhan Bear Tha na h-uamhan a' toirt dhuinn sealladh gun shamhail air na beathaichean a bha an seo thar nan 45,000 © The Trustees of the National Museums of Scotland Bone Text/Teacs Clare Belshaw Polar bliadhna mu dheireadh. Eadar am mathan bàn agus lioncs a' chinn a tuath, tha iomadh beathach eadar-

A’ Ghàidhlig le Catriona Moireach of Maps/Mapaichean Wendy Price Cartographics dhealaichte air làrach fhàgail ann an Uamhan nan Cnàmhan. Thig còmhla rinn air turas inntinneach gus beagan Design/Deilibh Eleanor Meikle & Kelly Stuart (SNH) Model Inchnadamph fhaighinn a-mach mun eachdraidh aca. Compiled by/Air a chur ri chèile le Alex Scott/John Charity (SNH) ISBN 1 85397 414 5 cover: JTCP5k0808 Printed on environmentally friendly paper cover: Clò-bhuailte air pàipear a tha taiceil dhan àrainneachd Back Front 64763 BoneCaves.qxp 20/8/08 02:11 Page 2

Bear bones Ancestral burials

During a visit in 1925, another well-known geologist, J E Cree, The most exciting finds were found in Reindeer cave, including the Ceumannan ann an eachdraidh found the incisor tooth of a bear and two pieces of reindeer first human remains. A human skull, with both upper and lower antler in one of the other caves. He returned the next year jaws missing was found in a small stone enclosure, which Nuair a ghabhas tu an ceum cas, lùbach gu uamhan nan cnàmhan, tha thu with his colleagues Callandar and Ritchie to suggests a burial. A second burial was found in the narrow a' gabhail ceum còmhla ris an luchd-rannsachaidh as fheàrr a tha againn. excavate the caves we now know as Badger crack at the back of the cave. These bones were found in a A rèir aithris, nuair a bha ag obair san Iar Thuath, bhiodh e ag Cave and Reindeer Cave. confused heap, lightly covered with cave earth. Bones of four obair anmoch ach bhiodh e a' gabhail latha dheth às gach trì airson a people have been radiocarbon dated to between 4515 and This excavation was more thorough than dhol a dh'iasgach. 'S dòcha nach deach leis ro mhath oir chan eil 4720 years old. An object made from red deer antler has Peach and Horne's 1889 dig. They found lochan idir ann an gleann Allt nan Uamh; cha mhòr gu bheil been dated as 850 years old. pieces of frog, land snails and the lower jaw abhainn fhèin ann ach lorg Peach agus Horne, na of a wildcat. Later tests with smoke proved that Nearly 1000 fragments of reindeer antler have been found and geòlaichean ainmeil, rud a bha pailt cho Bear Cave was connected to Reindeer cave, but these have been aged at 47,000, 25,000, 23,000 and 8,300 cudromach. there is no passageway to link the caves today. years old. The antlers were from female and young male reindeer, Nuair a bha iad a' sgrùdadh geòlas na sgìre, which suggest that the slopes at the head of the glen might have been feumaidh gun tàinig iad thairis air uamhan their calving grounds. nan cnàmhan aig Creag nan Uamh agus, ann an 1889, rinn iad na h-uiread de In the footsteps of history chladhach aig beul tè aca agus lorg iad pìosan de chnàmhan bheathaichean Cnàmhan mathain Adhlacaidhean When you follow the steep and winding path to the bone caves, you are treading in the footsteps of Lorg J.E. Cree, geòlaiche ainmeil eile, clàr-fhiacaill Chaidh na rudan a b'inntinniche a lorg ann an Uamh nan Rèin-fhiadh agus nam measg bha cuid de some of our best known explorers. mathain agus dà phìos de chròic rèin-fhiadh ann an na bha air fhàgail de dhaoine. Chaidh claigeann duine, às aonais nan giallan, a lorg air làrach le It is said of Ben Peach that, when working in the Northwest, he would work long hours, but would take tè de na h-uamhan eile ann an 1925. Thill e còmhla ri balla cloiche timcheall air. Bidh e coltach gun robh e air a thìodhlacadh an seo. Chaidh every third day off and go fishing. He may not have had much luck, because there are no lochs up the glen Callander is Ritchie, a bha ag obair còmhla ris, tìodhlacadh eile a lorg ann an sgoltadh cumhang aig cùl of Allt nan Uamh, and not much in the way of rivers either, but world-famous geologists Peach and Horne found a' bhliadhna an dèidh sin, agus chladhaich iad na na h-uamha. Bha na cnàmhan seo ann an dùn le glè something just as rewarding. h-uamhan ris an canar an-diugh Uamh nam Broc agus bheag de dh'ùir na h-uamha air an uachdar. Chuir Uamh nan Rèin-fhiadh. deiteadh reidiocarbon cnàmhan ceathrar dhaoine eadar While surveying the geology of the area, they must have come across the Creag nan Uamh bone caves and in 4,515 agus 4,720 air ais. Bha rudeigin ann air a 1889 they partially excavated the mouth of one of them and found pieces of animal bones. Bha a' chladhach seo nas mionaidiche na a' dhèanamh à cròic fèidh a bha 850 bliadhna a dh'aois. chladhach a rinn Peach agus Horne ann an 1889. Lorg iad pìosan de losgainn is de sheilcheagan Chaidh faisg air 1000 pìos de chròicean rèin-fhèidh a tìre agus cuideachd giall ìseal cat fiadhaich. lorg a tha 47,000, 25,000, 23,000 agus 8,300 bliadhna An dèidh sin, dhearbh deuchainn le toit gun a dh'aois. Thàinig na cròicean o rein-fhèidh bhoireann agus o robh Uamh a' Mhathain ceangailte ri Uamh fheadhainn òga, fhireann. Mar sin, dh'fhaodadh gur ann air na nan Rèin-fhiadh ach chan eil trannsa a' leòidean aig ceann a' ghlinne a bhiodh iad a' breith. ceangal nan uamhan a-nis.

Reindeer Rèin-fhiadh A lonely lynx Our wooded past

Perhaps the most exciting find was the skull of a Northern Lynx dated at around More recently remains of red and roe deer, rabbit, badger, red and black grouse 1,770 years old, which was found at the back of the inner cave in 1927. This is and even pine marten have been found in Connecting Passage. These suggest that the only Northern Lynx site in Scotland. How did it get there? There was probably around 4200 years ago, after the last Ice Age, the area was wooded. Perhaps a gap in the roof of the cave and the lynx could have crawled in and died or been the Allt nan Uamh glen was full of birch and willow 4500 years ago. Certainly dragged there by another animal. Bones of arctic lemming, arctic fox, wolf and there are remnant trees growing on the steep sides of swallow holes - areas where brown bear were also found. the ground has collapsed into an underground channel. Lioncs aonaranach Coilltean san linn a dh'fhalbh

'S dòcha gur e an rud a b'inntinniche a chaidh a lorg claigeann Lioncs a' Chinn a On uair sin, chaidh fuigheall bheathaichean a lorg san Trannsa Ceangail. Nam Tuath. Chaidh aois 1,770 bliadhna a chur air an seo. Chaidh a lorg aig cùl na measg bha earb, coineanach, broc, cearc-fhraoich ruadh agus tè dhubh agus fiù h-uamha a b'fhaide a-staigh ann an 1927. Seo an aon làrach ann an Alba as 's taghan. Bidh e coltach, mar sin, gun robh beathaichean coille an seo o chionn aithne dhuinn san robh Lioncs a' Chinn a Tuath. Bha claigeann an lioncs ri cùl na 4,200 bliadhna, an dèidh Linn na Deighe. 'S dòcha gun robh gleann Allt nan h-uamha as fhaide a-staigh. Ciamar a fhuair e ann? 'S iongantach mura robh Uamh làn chraobhan beithe is seilich o chionn 4,500 bliadhna. Tha fhathast beàrn ann am mullach na h-uamha agus dh'fhaodadh an lioncs a bhith air snàigeil beagan chraobhan air fhàgail air cliathaichean casa nan lagan far a bheil an ùir a-steach agus bàsachadh no dh'fhaodadh gur e beathach eile a shlaod ann e. air tuiteam ann an tunail fon talamh. Chaidh cnàmhan bho leaman an t-sneachda, sionnach an t-sneachda, madadh-allaidh agus mathan donn a lorg cuideachd. Lynx Lioncs

Polar bear Mathan bàn Lemming lower jaw Mathain Bhàna ann an Alba? An ice-carved Carbad ìseal lemming Chaidh rud inntinneach eile a lorg agus tha h-uile coltas gur e mathan bàn a landscape bh'ann! Fhuaradh seo a-mach ann an 1927 nuair a chaidh sgrùdadh às ùr a dhèanamh. Chaidh aois 18,855 bliadhna a chur air an seo. Feumaidh sinn Massive glaciers would have carved out the cuimhneachadh ge tà gum faodadh beathaichean eile a bhith air Traligill and Allt nan Uamh glens. The cave systems closach a' mhathain bhàin agus sligean bhàirneach a would have started to be formed more than 200,000 year ago when the water- shlaodadh ann à àite gu math fada air falbh. resistant schist had been eroded from above the softer limestone. Water then began to drain into the limestone, dissolving the rock and causing the cracks in the Tha cnàmahn nam beathaichean gu rock to widen and form cave systems. Today there are 13 caves in the Allt nan lèir cudromach ann an Alba oir 's e Uamh glen and 19 in the Traligill Basin. seo na beathaichean as slàine a bhuineas do mheadhan agus do Mountain avens Machall-monaidh At this time the glen floor would have been at the level of the Cnoc an Uamh and dheireadh na Linn Devensianaich (an linn deighe mu Creag nan Uamh caves. When the glaciers lowered the levels of the glen, the dheireadh) a chaidh a lorg ann an Alba. Tha Bone Caves were left where we find them today - high and dry. luchd-sgrùdaidh an-dràsta dhen bheachd gun deach Exploration is continuing today through this cave system and perhaps one day we Polar bears in Scotland? an sgoladh a-steach le uisge-deighe a bha a' Hyenas andHippos Reindeer antler fragments will know the full story of how they were formed and who or what lived in them. Pìosan cròic rèin-fhiadh leaghadh. Chan eil fianais sam bith againn air Another interesting find is that of a probable Polar bear. This was discovered when daoine bhith a' fuireach sna h-uamhan, ged a The last Ice Age, known as the Quaternary, lasted for about 2 million years, with the 1927 remains were recently re-evaluated. It has been aged at around 18,855 dh'fhaodadh gun robh iad gan cleachdadh nuair a bha iad a' sealg. Ach bidh e cycles of ice building up then melting every 100,000 years or so. We are in an years old. We must remember, though, that the bones of Polar bear and limpet coltach gur e beathaichean bu mhotha a bha gan cleachdadh. interglacial now, and the last interglacial was around 125,000 years ago. At that An tìr fo eigh-shruthan shells could have been dragged in by other animals from a distance. time Britain would have been covered in trees and it was warm enough for hyena Tha dìomhaireachd fhathast co-cheangailte ri na h-uamhan, agus chan fhaigh sinn and hippopotamus. We haven't found any remains of animals from this period in Bhiodh eigh-shruthan mòra, uabhasach air na glinn ann an Trailigill agus Allt nan All of the animal bones are important in Scotland, because they are the most fuasgladh ach le tuilleadh rannsachaidh a dhèanamh air an fhuigheall a tha air the Creag nan Uamh caves. Uamh a chruthachadh. 'S ann o chionn 200,000 bliadhna a thòisicheadh na complete record of the last glacial period (the Middle and Late Devensian) found fhàgail. Chan eil plana sam bith san amharc an-dràsta airson tuilleadh h-uamhan gan cruthachadh nuair a chaidh an schist neo-dhrùidhteach a bhleith far in Scotland. Researchers think that the bones were washed in by meltwater from Around 115,000 years ago the climate became colder and drier and the vegetation a chladhach oir tha e cho daor cladhach dòigheil airceòlais a chur air chois. Tha na cloich-aoil a bha na bu bhuige. Thòisich uisge an uair sin a' sruthadh dhan the glaciers that covered Scotland at that time. There is no evidence that people changed to tundra. The tundra was grazed by reindeer 40,000 years ago and they e air iarraidh air luchd-tadhail gun a' ghrùid air an làraich a mhilleadh. Tha chloich-aoil agus bha seo a' leaghadh na creige agus a' dèanamh sgoltaidhean lived in the caves, although they may well have been used for hunting trips. They were hunted by bear and wolves. Around 25,000 years ago it became colder and claiginn an lioncs agus a' mhathain bhàin agus sa chreig nas leatha agus a' cruthachadh nan uamhan. seem mostly to have been used by animals. cròicean rein-fhèidh ann an taisbeanadh ann an wetter again and glaciers started to build up until 18,000 years ago when the ice retreated again. By 13,000 years ago the ice had gone, although it came back Aig an àm seo, bhiodh bonn a' ghlinne mun aon ìre àirde ri uamhan Chnoc nan There is still a cloak of mystery around the caves, and we will only find the answer Taigh-tasgaidh na h-Alba ann an Dùn briefly 11,000 years ago for around 1000 years. Uamh agus Chreag nan Uamh. An dèidh dha na h-eigh-shruthan àirde a' ghlinne by exploring the remains further. There are no plans at the moment for more Eideann fad na h-ùine. Tha cumaidhean ìsleachadh, chaidh Uamhan nan Cnàmhan fhàgail tioram gu h-àrd far a bheil iad digging as it is hugely expensive to mount a proper archaeological dig. In the de chuid dhen stuth rim faicinn ann an an-diugh. meantime, we ask you not to damage the deposits on site. The lynx and polar bear Ionad Luchd-turais Asainte ann an Loch an skulls and some reindeer antlers are on permanent display in the Museum of Inbhir. Haidhena agus Each-aibhne Tha rannsachadh a'dol air adhart fhathast anns na h-uamhan. 'S dòcha gun tig an Scotland in . Casts of some of the material are on display in the latha uaireigin a bhios fios againn air a h-uile càil mu dheidhinn ciamar a chaidh Lynx skull Claigeann lioncs Visitor Centre in Lochinver. Mhair an Linn Deighe mu dheireadh, ris an canar an Quaternary, mu 2 mhillean an cruthachadh agus cò no dè a bha a' fuireach annta. bliadhna le cuairtean de dheigh a' cruinneachadh agus an uair sin a' leaghadh a h-uile 100,000 bliadhna no mar sin. Tha sinn eadar linntean deighe an-dràsta. Fuaran Allt nan Uamh 'S ann o chionn 125,000 bliadhna a thachair seo mu dheireadh. Bhiodh Breatainn Wolf Madadh allaidh Polar bear cranium Claigeann mathan bàn air a chòmhdach le craobhan aig an àm sin agus bha e blàth gu leòr airson haidhena agus each-aibhne a bhith ann! Cha do lorg sinn fuigheall bheathaichean on àm seo sna h-uamhan aig Creag nan Uamh.

O chionn 115, 000 bliadhna dh'fhàs a' ghnàth-shìde fuar agus tioram agus dh'atharraich na bha a' fàs gu tundra. O chionn 40,000 bliadhna bha rein-fhèidh ag ionaltradh air an tundra. Bhiodh madaidhean allaidh agus mathain gan sealg. Dh'fhàs i na b'fhuaire agus na bu fhliche a-rithist o chionn 25,000 bliadhna. Chum na h-eigh-shruthan a' cruinneachadh gu chionn 18,000 bliadhna. Thòisich an uair sin an deigh a' dol air ais mean air mhean. O chionn 13,000 bliadhna, bha an deigh air leaghadh ged a thill i greiseag airson timcheall air 1,000 bliadhna o chionn 11,000 bliadhna.