Cove Haven

This is the end of the cliffs, and the place where the NO6541 : Angular Unconformity is easiest to see without slithering over the rocks at sea level.

One of several holes where sea spray is deflected up through a hole in stormy weather.

This is the largest of the inlets created by collapsed sea caves along this stretch of cliffs.

The isolated sea stack is thought to resemble the Devil's head.

Also known as the Camel's Humps, and the one on the left as the Sphinx, this rib of Old Red Sandstone is at the south end of Carlingheugh Bay.

A much more imaginative way of fencing off a cliff edge than just an ordinary set of railings. Well done to someone for this. See also NO6642 : The Music Notes on the Arbroath Cliff Trail near Castle Gate.

This is the view to seaward after passing through the natural archat Castle Gate. It's another of the collapsed caves that are common along this stretch of cliffs.

This is one of many natural arches in the cliffs between Arbroath and Lunan Bay. The rock is Old Red Sandstone, laid down by rivers in a desert environment in the Devonian, about 400 million years ago. The coarser layers containing pebbles were deposited when there was a more vigorous flow of water, perhaps flash floods following occasional heavy rain, and the finer beds were laid down in times of slack water. See also NO6742 : A geological story revealed by the Three Sisters, Arbroath.

The cleft in the cliff is a fault which has been exploited by the sea to form the Dark Cave, one of two caves that extend right through the headland to the next bay. The other one, the Light Cave, is further to the right. When you enter the Light cave, you can see the light at the other end, but the Dark Cave is, as its name suggests, completely dark. Bring a torch if you're going to explore it, and mind your head inside. The slightly wavy almost vertical feature next to the cave entrance is a vein of baryte (Barium sulphate, BaSO4, also known as barite and barytes). This has leached out of the sandstone and there are several such veins in the vicinity. Baryte is very dense (about 4½ tonnes per cubic metre, compared with sandstone which has a density of about 2¼ tonnes per cubic metre) and is used to make drilling mud to seal oil wells, and it is the most important ore of barium, which has many uses in medicine, engineering and other fields. See Link.

The white dendritic shapes are crystals of Barium sulphate, BaSO4, also known as barite and baryte, which have leached out from igneous fluids permeating the sandstone. Baryte is very dense (about 4½ tonnes per cubic metre, compared with sandstone which has a density of about 2¼ tonnes per cubic metre) and is used to make drilling mud to seal oil wells, and it is the most important ore of barium, which has many uses in medicine, engineering and other fields. See Link.

These heaps of mixed vegetable and plastic waste are the remains of strawberry beds from the polytunnels nearby. Strawberry plants have to be replaced every few years, and the old beds are dug up and dumped to make way for the new. I am told that the plastic is biodegradable, so in time all this will decompose into potentially useful compost.

This was a large and conspicuous caterpillar, easily seen on the path. Pound coin for scale.

Cove Haven is separated by the Three Sisters from Carlingheugh Bay.

One of several holes where sea spray is deflected up through a hole in stormy weather.

Looking through the Eye of the Needle. This arch is unusual in being parallel to the shore.

This is how the sea gets into Mermaid's Kirk. At this low tide level - 1.2 m - most of this is wadeable.

The stack now known as Deil's Heid, but formerly The Pint Stoup (=tankard), is on the left. There is an entrance to a cave fractionally right of centre. A narrower one is the entrance to a geo (narrow inlet) leading to Seal Cave. This is not the same as Seal's Cave which is a bit further north.