The Grampian Speleological Group Bulletin

ISSN 0306 1698 the grampian speleological group bulletin fourth series vol.4 no.2 March 2010 Price £2 GSG Bulletin Fourth Series Vol.4 No.3 CONTENTS Page Number Editorial 1 Cover Story 2 Old ‘Caves’ Rediscovered on Edinburgh’s South Side 2 Meet Reports 3 Habbie Kerr’s Cave, Roxburghshire 4 Additions to the Library 5 Grahamslaw Caves, Roxburghshire 7 Mine’s A White Christmas 8 To Romania in a Tea Shack 9 Poem: The Smoo Cave 14 Ivy Hole Again! 15 Scottish Caves and Caving Interests on the Internet 17 Some Sea Caves in Morayshire 18 Forty Years Well Spent. Part II 19 Poem: A Dig at the Woods 29 Lost and Found - The Lost Mine of Midlothian 30 Razor Rift, Skye 37 Blebocraigs Mines 38 Prospecting Around Loch More 40 The Light Output and Efficiency of Power LEDs 42 Claonaite - The Antler Chamber Bear Skull and Other Finds 47 Radiocarbon Dates from Claonaite Seven 51 Cover Design: P. MacNab Obtainable from: The Grampian Speleological Group 8 Scone Gardens EDINBURGH EH8 7DQ (0131 661 1123) Web Site: http://www.sat.dundee.ac.uk/~arb/gsg/ E-mail (Editorial): [email protected] -1- The Grampian Speleological Group Editorial: There doesn’t seem to be much doubt that Britain is getting wetter. That’s how climate change appears to be affecting us most. Granted we will enjoy warmer summers but warm rain is still rain. Which makes our experience on Mendip last October all the more curious. Trips into Hunter’s Lodge Inn Sink and more remarkably, Swildons Hole, were tangibly troubled by bad air, or to be more specific, a diminution of oxy- gen. After climbing back up from sump 1 some of us at least were relieved to discover it wasn’t old age causing breathlessness or distress but an excess of CO2. It was a curious phenomena to encounter in such an active stream cave, currently busy undermining and modifying its entrance series. While this problem is temporary, to be redressed by the next high water event (and we don’t have to wait long for that!) I found it slightly ironic when I recall bringing up the matter of gas detection at an SCRO meeting some years ago, only to be informed such instruments were (a) expensive and (b) so seldom likely to be used that their acquisition was untenable. Suddenly, bad air is flavour of the month (not a mixed metaphor in some caving hut dormitories!) In Derbyshire for example, bad air has recently been noted in Nettle Pot, Youd’s Level, Knotlow Mine and Water Icicle Close Mine. What: am I a prophet now? Well, here’s another prediction. More rain means increased risk of flooding. Those of us whose memories reach back to the devastation of Lynmouth in 1952 and the vast south-eastern English floods of 1953, are very well aware that these catastrophes used to be extraordinary headline news, whereas now we actually expect them - to the extent that some householders living on flood plains have difficulty securing adequate property insurance. The times they are a-changing. Our snow blitz over Christmas was but another facet of this new weather and we came perilously close to slip-sliding to a standstill, if you know what I mean. Having experienced the questionable pleasures of a flash flood down Penyghent Pot, I know what really heavy rainstorms can do and I caution readers to be much more aware of weather conditions when tackling active river caves. Imagine the chaos if a year’s quota of rain fell on the Dales on a single summer Saturday. It hardly bears thinking about. Underground, there is nothing like a serious flood for causing one to contem- plate one’s own fragile mortality. In the 100 years that have elapsed since the Great Flood of Eastwater there have been countless similar rescues, mostly avoidable (and yes, okay, especially in Claonaite!!) if forecasts had been acted upon correctly, so take note. Climate change is making all this a much bigger factor in plan- ning meets - regular Yorkshire cavers will be aware that even ‘easy’ trips such as Long Churn or Kingsdale Master Cave can be transmogrified into voracious drowning machines in bad weather so don’t go around thinking that ‘it’s only water’. We are not designed to breathe under water so let’s be careful out there. * * * * * As I write this, preparations to mark our 50th Jubilee in June, 2011 are gaining momentum and I would like to focus attention on the notice sent individually to each member stating that while the celebration dinner is likely to be more expensive than the average annual dinner, we wish to see as many of you as possible attend- ing so a club-run savings scheme has been set up to alleviate the impact on your pocket. I really, really rec- ommend you take advantage of this arrangement, so you don’t miss out on such a notable event. It is an obvious and painless way to deal with the dilemma and I can’t imagine why everyone doesn’t adopt it, even if they save privately. Edinburgh is a nice place to visit and we hope to alleviate accommodation problems for those travelling long distances. I trust you will attend and look forward to seeing you all then. Alan L. Jeffreys, Editor .............................................................................................................................................................................. Cover Illustration : Sawney Bean was born in East Lothian but, being an idle person, and with the only work available hedging and ditching, left there and made his way to Ayrshire, existing on what he could thieve. He settled down with -2- his common law wife, Black Agnes, who had been driven out of Ballantrae as a witch, and they made their home in a cave in the cliffs at Bennane Head, to the north of the town. From there, like Robin Hood, they lived by robbing the rich or any passerby in the then sparsely populated countryside. They, however, did not give to the poor but always murdered their victims and then ate them, drying and pickling the meat to make it last. They learned to keep a low profile and, with little else to do, bred prolifically, creating the first clan of Beans. Keeping things in the family, they lived there for around twenty-five years and, when they were finally captured in 1435 they numbered forty-eight, all sons, daughters, grandsons and granddaughters of Sawney and Black Agnes. In that twenty-five yars they reputedly killed and ate over a thousand people who had all disappeared while passing through Ayrshire and the Beans. These worthless wretches were taken to Leith where they were all hung and subsequently thrown in a heap so large that it constituted a small hill. From this unusual event came the saying “Not worth a hill of beans.” Although this ended the occupation of Bennane Cave and the murders in Ayrshire, it was rumoured that some of the clan had escaped having done a runner. Their daughter Haricot was never accounted for and one half- baked son changed his name to Green and went abroad, possibly becoming a French chef. Mungo went to China, dropped the ‘O’and became Mung bean whilst Jack, in the Bean’s talk, went to Dundee where he start- ed a well known comic (possibly the Dandy?). One died of a Kidney disease and another went to Peru where he set up home in Guitarrero Cave (where the earliest cultivated beans were found) and became addicted to cocoa and coffee. A grandson, called Heinz, claimed that there were a total of 57 in the Clan of Beans. (This historical article has been well researched so ya know as much as I do. I flatulently deny that it is a load of hot air. That old fart, Snab). Peter ‘Snab’ MacNab .............................................................................................................................................................................. OLD ‘CAVES’ REDISCOVERED ON EDINBURGH’S SOUTH SIDE By Judy Barber Experienced and intrepid caver Alan Jeffreys was called in to explore extensive low caverns under a 1938 house with a wooden floor. The mission? To insulate under the floor to keep the house cosy in the snowiest of winters and to reduce fuel consumption and the carbon footprint of the house. The material used was rolls of roof insulation made of recycled plastic bottles, stapled up with garden netting. The task? Judging from the sounds echoing through the floor it was exacting but Mr Jeffreys, clad in all the right protective clothing, was more than equal to the task and completed it in two solid half days of solid work, probably a yard if measured in cups of tea! The grateful owner, Judy Barber, says the house has been much warmer since the insulation was put in, even during the cold snowy weather. Having insulated the roof space and the walls, and double glazed the original windows, under the floor was the only surface left to sheathe. Heat from the wood stove stays around for longer now and Judy is looking forward to Ready for action, Goon descends lower fuel bills. She is wondering the access hatch how many other people might be glad to get their wooden ground floors insulated. All you need is a deep enough crawl space under your floor, recycled plastic bottle insulation batts, fine plastic garden netting, a heavy duty staple gun, plenty of tea bags and a very clever and kind Goon entering one of the more ‘spacious’ caver with the right gear and an excellent sense of humour in the areas of the job. face of genuine antique dusty cobwebs. -3- AREA MEET REPORTS (to 15.2.2010) The pace of club caving declined slightly during the autumn and was heavily curtailed over the festive sea- son when heavy snow throughout the UK discouraged people from committing to long distance driving.

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