Summer is here and for lovers of everything outdoorsy Scotland has you covered with its beautiful selection of munros, lochs, glens, birdwatching spots, waterfalls, lighthouses and monuments (to name a few!)
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.
17. St Fillan’s Cave, Pittenweem
St Fillan’s Cave is embedded in a natural rock behind the small town of Pittenweem which means “place of the cave”. The dark cave is said to be where Saint Fillan was able to produce his holy writings by way of his glowing arm. As the legend goes, the Irish missionary would hide in this cave during his endeavour to convert the Picts to Christianity. However, the cave was too dark to allow him to read or write, thus he asked God for a solution and in response he granted him a glowing left arm (allowing him to write with his right hand.) Photo: via WikiCommons