With inspiring glens, glistening lochs and wind-battered coastlines, caves usually don’t take centre stage when it comes to Scotland’s natural beauty but there are many incredible ones with rich heritage regardless.
Recently, we ran a poll with our Scotsman readers asking for their choice of the most spectacular places to visit in Scotland for new tourists, and while their answers made for an exciting selection it was lacking one of the country’s most fascinating natural attractions; caves.
If you’re a nature enthusiast - or intereted in Scottish mythology - you’ll enjoy Scotland’s many diverse and breathtaking caves that are scattered from the lowlands to the highest peaks of the Scottish Highlands.
So, let’s crack into these seventeen Scottish caves, caverns and coves and explore their rich heritage while doing so. Disclaimer: Not every site on this list is accessible, check local authority websites for more details if you’re interested.
If you’re a nature enthusiast - or intereted in Scottish mythology - you’ll enjoy Scotland’s many diverse and breathtaking caves that are scattered from the lowlands to the highest peaks of the Scottish Highlands.
This series of hand-carved underground chambers rests beneath the streets of Gilmerton, a suburb of Edinburgh which was once a mining village. According to Undiscovered Scotland: “The mystery arises because no-one knows when this obviously man-made complex was excavated, or by whom, or what it was used for. “The "traditional" theory is that the Cove was the work of George Paterson, a blacksmith who is said to have excavated it between 1719 ad 1724 as a home and workshop for himself and his family.” However, given the location’s proximity to Rosslyn Chapel, others have theorised a connection to the Knights Templar. Photo: via WikiCommons