The Caves of Ryd is a number of
diabase
Diabase (), also called dolerite () or microgabbro,
is a mafic, holocrystalline, subvolcanic rock equivalent to volcanic basalt or plutonic gabbro. Diabase dikes and sills are typically shallow intrusive bodies and often exhibit fine-graine ...
pillars on the east side of the mountain of
Billingen
Billingen is the largest of the thirteen mesas in the Swedish county of Västra Götaland, with a maximum altitude of . The mesa extends in a north-southerly direct with a length of and a width of .
Billingen is divided into two parts by an eas ...
in
Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
. It is a popular lookout point over the city of
Skövde
Skövde () is a locality and urban centre in Skövde Municipality and Västra Götaland County, in the Västergötland (Western Gothland region) in central Southern Sweden.
Skövde is situated some 150 km northeast of Gothenburg, between Swe ...
,
and is easily accessible on foot. The road is steep and difficult to travel by car. Underneath the pillars, there is difficult terrain occupied by big boulders. Many species of moss grows here.
The Caves of Ryd were likely created from a landslide many years ago, during which the diabase pillars broke loose and slipped over the
shale
Shale is a fine-grained, clastic sedimentary rock formed from mud that is a mix of flakes of clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolin, Al2 Si2 O5( OH)4) and tiny fragments (silt-sized particles) of other minerals, especial ...
underneath creating a ravine-like shape rather than a cave-like one.
A short way north of the Caves of Ryd lies the remains of the castle Ymsingsborg, which is also a popular lookout point.
References
{{coord missing, Sweden
Landforms of Västra Götaland County
Tourist attractions in Västra Götaland County