Badbea Whisky Cave location?

[Christina Baldwin]

Hello,
There are several references to the cave at Badbea where whisky was made including this one from the report of the memorial unveiling ceremony 8/11/1912 John O'Groat Journal.
"Down below was the cave where the smuggling took place, and where John Gunn, senior, perished in his 84th year, in climbing up to the top of the very high declivity."
Does anyone know if this cave is still there and what the exact location is? I can't think why it wouldn't be there. Being in NZ I am not planning an intrepid visit to the cave any time soon but I would like a photograph of it if there happened to be a fishing boat or a plane going by (wishful thinking probably but you Caithness locals are a hardy bunch - anyone going for a late summer swim with a water proof camera :-)
Regards
Christina Baldwin
New Zealand

[d.polson]

Hi Christina,
I,m not sure if this will be of much use to you but if you have Google Chrome just in badbea in the search bar and it shound open 25 pages + with photos stories etc. I hope this works for you.

regards don polson.

[Bruce_H]

I am pondering hiring either a boat or a plane my next time in Caithness to try and solve some geo-mysteries about Badbea and the beach below Ramscraigs, and possibly Halberry as well. I am sure someone on the org has gone exploring around that part of the shore can could tell us at thing or two.

Sadly Google Earth has ortho-rectified all imagery, so they appear to be taken from immediately overhead. What Christina seems to be looking for would be evidence of a cave either in the hills above Badbea or in the face of that mighty cliff down to the sea.

Bruce

[Christina Baldwin]

Hello again,

Thanks Don but no I don't have Google Chrome. I use Firefox which seems to work best on ny computers. I do have a lot of information re Badbea and have visited the memorial - I was just not confident to try to locate the cave:-)

Bruce, yes I am looking for a cave in, or at the base of, the cliff. I have a few references. One, published in JOG 05.08.1977 as part of the series on Badbea by Comraich says:
'The Badbea settlement had a still in a cave at the cliff base which cave was known as 'Uag-Eachin' and the track to it led down the precipitous sea cliff from the village. On this particular day John Gunn was carrying up from the cave a small cask of produce, when, nearing the top he slipped or trod on a loose rock, lost his balance and fell to the bottom. He was killed in this fall and buried in the old Berriedale burying ground where his stone may be seen to this day.'
I think a visit via boat would be most fascinating but as much accumulated knowledge as possible prior would be a good idea.
Regards Christina