Tomnadashan Mine AKA Cave of Caerbannog

The entrance is modest - easy to miss if you're not looking for it - but this limestone cavern near Crieff has proper presence once you're inside. Tomnadashan Mine isn't some polished tourist attraction with fancy lighting and guided tours. It's a working mine for decades, and that honest industrial character still hangs about.

You're walking into a space where men actually dug for minerals. The passages open up nicely, and the rock formations have that raw, unvarnished beauty you don't get in overly commercialised caves. The light through the entrance floods the main chamber in a way that makes you understand why someone thought it worth the effort to extract anything from here.

Walkers heading around this part of Perthshire will find it worth a detour if you're not too keen on long treks. Allow an hour, maybe less if caves aren't your thing. The cave itself is free to access - no gates, no admission booth - which is refreshingly straightforward. Bring a torch though. The natural light doesn't reach everywhere.

It's rough around the edges, and that's precisely the appeal. Families with older kids will manage fine; the young ones might find it claustrophobic or boring. Those interested in industrial heritage or geology will get the most from it. Pair it with a stay at Loch Tay Highland Lodges just down the road if you're making a proper weekend of the Perthshire hills. The cave works best as part of a broader walk rather than a standalone destination.