Clach Thoull natural stone arch in Appin

‘Claudius seemed bewildered. Lenora yelled, 'Clach Thoull!' and bolted ahead. Claudius followed. They sprinted just 100 yards to a large natural arch, but by the time they reached its shelter, their hair and clothes were soaked. Having overtaken Lenora, Claudius extended his hand to help her up the wet slope. The wind whipped through the arch. 'I’m freezing,' said Lenora, leaning against Claudius for warmth and shelter. Instinctively, he put an arm around her.’ This is a quote from The Claudians: gardens, landscapes, reason and faith: John Claudius Loudon and Claudius Buchanan, Tom Turner (Kindle, 2024).

More about Clach Thoull rock arch

Clach Thoull is a raised natural rock arch developed along a dipping fault plane in the headland. In Scots Gaelic ‘Clach’ means ‘stone’ ‘Thoull’ (sometimes spelled Toll or ‘Toul’ and pronounced ‘tohl’). It translates to "hole" or "aperture" in English and is used to describe natural formations such as caves, holes, or openings in rocks. So Clach Thoull means ‘Stone of the Hole.’ 

Clach Thoull near Port Appin is part of a raised beach. Raised beaches are coastal landforms that were formed when sea levels were higher in the past. Over time, due to changes in sea level or the land itself rising (isostatic rebound), these beaches were left above the current shoreline. The Clach Thoull stone arch is one of the natural rock formations found along this raised beach. The bedrock is Appin quartzite.

Local legends notwithstanding, Clach Thoull is not an entrance to the underworld. In The Claudians, however, it is the place where Claudius Buchanan was first led astray.