Dugald's 'Tower'
above a tributary of Boquhan Burn
Dugald's 'Tower' is
a natural feature,
according to local legend, this was the site of a 17th century
Conventicle
and the hiding place of a Covenanter named Dugald.
Waterfall on
tributary of Boquhan Burn
beside Dugald's
'Tower'
Rock Buttress above
tributary of Boquhan Burn beside Dugald's
'Tower'
Route
from Dugald's 'Tower' to
the Hole of Sneith
Head
of Waterfall on Boquhan Burn
above the Hole of Sneith
Boquhan
Burn
in the deep abyss of the Hole of Sneith
Waterfalls
on Boquhan Burn
in
the Hole of Sneith
Waterfalls
in the Hole of Sneith
Waterfall
on Boquhan Burn
in
the Hole of Sneith
The Hole of Sneith is an astonishing
natural cavern on the Boquan Burn, situated to the south of Kippen
( NS6551793084 ). The sides of
the cavern are around 20ft to 40ft high with a 20ft waterfall.
It’s
the same type of geology as Finnich Glen, near Killearn but much harder
to reach.
It’s
one of a series of astonishing natural forms in the area.
Others
include the rock pinnacle of Dugald’s Tower and the Whale’s Belly, a
deep
narrow gorge. All caused by millennia of water erosion on soft rock.
From
Kippen, it’s a 20-30 minute walk in from the north.
These
hidden, almost inaccessible locations, were used during the late 17th
century for outdoor worship or Conventicles, which had been banned by
the state and were frequently broken up by soldiers.
Famously,
the minister at Kippen, James Ure preached and hid here when he was a
wanted man.
The
authorities described him as a terrorist - he had led 200
armed volunteers to the Battle of Bothwell Brig. A
reward of £100 was offered for his capture but no one betrayed him.
The gorge of Boquhan Burn
Entrance to the "Whale's Belly"
in the gorge of Boquhan Burn
The "Whale's Belly"
a narrow and deep gorge of Boquhan Burn
enclosed on both sides by perpendicular rocks