Bruce's Cave or the Dunskellie Grotto is a relatively small and mainly artificial cave created in the red sandstone cliffs about 9 metres above the
Kirtle Water
The Kirtle Water is a river in Dumfries and Galloway in southern Scotland. It rises on the southern slopes of Haggy Hill where its headwaters are impounded to form Winterhope Reservoir. Below the dam it flows in a generally southerly direction pas ...
at Cove,
Kirkpatrick-Fleming
Kirkpatrick-Fleming (Scottish Gaelic: Cill Phàdraig) is a village and civil parish in Dumfries and Galloway, south-west Scotland.
It is located between the Kirtle Water and the A74(M) motorway, the Solway Firth, and the Cumbrian hills are visib ...
,
Dumfries and Galloway
Dumfries and Galloway ( sco, Dumfries an Gallowa; gd, Dùn Phrìs is Gall-Ghaidhealaibh) is one of 32 unitary council areas of Scotland and is located in the western Southern Uplands. It covers the counties of Scotland, historic counties of ...
, Scotland. It has been associated with Robert the Bruce and the famous incident with the spider struggling to build its web.
[Mercer (1997), Page 27]
The cave and access
Bruce's cave is located in a red sandstone cliff above the
Kirtle Water
The Kirtle Water is a river in Dumfries and Galloway in southern Scotland. It rises on the southern slopes of Haggy Hill where its headwaters are impounded to form Winterhope Reservoir. Below the dam it flows in a generally southerly direction pas ...
on the south side of the water course. Access is via steps cut into the rock and a platform supported by timbers slotted into the cave via square holes cut into the rock. The pathway was built by the local council in 1927 as previously visitors were lowered on a rope over the overhang, from which they would swing into the cave, resulting in many accidents.
Bruce's Cave Caravan Park charge a small fee for parking and access to the cave.
Tool markings are distinct in a number of areas and the cave is roughly circular with an alcove or
aumbry
An ambry (or ''almery'', ''aumbry''; from the medieval form ''almarium'', cf. Lat. ''armārium'', "a place for keeping tools"; cf. O. Fr. ''aumoire'' and mod. armoire) is a recessed cabinet in the wall of a Christian church for storing sacred vesse ...
, possibly an altar lies to the right of the entrance. The dimensions are circa 5 metres east to west, 4 metres north to south with a height of circa 2 metres. The cave floor slopes with the rock strata east to west.
[Mercer (1997), Page 27]
The cave opening is obvious from the level of the
Kirtle Water
The Kirtle Water is a river in Dumfries and Galloway in southern Scotland. It rises on the southern slopes of Haggy Hill where its headwaters are impounded to form Winterhope Reservoir. Below the dam it flows in a generally southerly direction pas ...
and is well above the flood level of the river. The entrance has been modified several times with a rebated entrance indicating an external door closing flush with the rock face as well as internal holes in the floor and ceiling that may have been for a pair of internally closing doors.
[Mercer (1997), Page 27] A pair of square section holes on either side have been referred to as spy or ventilation holes but may be linked to the need for large timber supports to hold up the external platform. The
National Museum of Scotland
The National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh, Scotland, was formed in 2006 with the merger of the new Museum of Scotland, with collections relating to Scottish antiquities, culture and history, and the adjacent Royal Scottish Museum (opened in ...
holds 'Rock Doors' from Bruce's Cove.
History
The cave may have originated as a natural cavity
[Mercer (1997), Page 27] however its enlargement with access via ropes would have provided a secure hiding place for valuables and charters from Dunskellie Castles during border raids or wars. As early as 1408 the name 'Cove' (Scots for cave) was used instead of Dunskellie or Dunskelly as the name of the estate. In 1794 it was regarded as an antiquity but without any reference to the local legend that
Robert the Bruce
Robert I (11 July 1274 – 7 June 1329), popularly known as Robert the Bruce (Scottish Gaelic: ''Raibeart an Bruis''), was King of Scots from 1306 to his death in 1329. One of the most renowned warriors of his generation, Robert eventual ...
hid from the English soldiers here for several months in 1306, provided with food and drink by his supporter William Irving, Laird of Dunskellie.
[Mercer (1997), Page 28] The expression "''If at first you don’t succeed try, try and try again''" is said to have come from this incident, however that is unlikely. A cave on
Rathlin Island
Rathlin Island ( ga, Reachlainn, ; Local Irish dialect: ''Reachraidh'', ; Scots: ''Racherie'') is an island and civil parish off the coast of County Antrim (of which it is part) in Northern Ireland. It is Northern Ireland's northernmost point. ...
is another strong contender for being the site of this famous event.
The lands became known as 'Cove' and the present day mansion house is built on or near the foundations of Dunskellie Castle.
In 1907 Colonel Irving refers to the site as the "Cove of the Dunskelly" and the link with Robert the Bruce is linked with the Irving or Irvine family history to help explain the generous gift by the king of the
Lands of Drum in Aberdeenshire.
[Mercer (1997), Page 28] Sir William Irving had been Robert the Bruce's standard-bearer at the 1314
Battle of Bannockburn
The Battle of Bannockburn ( gd, Blàr Allt nam Bànag or ) fought on June 23–24, 1314, was a victory of the army of King of Scots Robert the Bruce over the army of King Edward II of England in the First War of Scottish Independence. It was ...
.
Robert the Bruce
Robert I (11 July 1274 – 7 June 1329), popularly known as Robert the Bruce (Scottish Gaelic: ''Raibeart an Bruis''), was King of Scots from 1306 to his death in 1329. One of the most renowned warriors of his generation, Robert eventual ...
was Lord of Annandale and had lived as child at
Lochmaben Castle
Lochmaben Castle is a ruined castle in the town of Lochmaben, the feudal Lordship of Annandale, and the united county of Dumfries and Galloway. It was built by Edward I in the 14th century replacing an earlier motte and bailey castle, and lat ...
, only 12 miles distant, as well as the family's other major castles at
Turnberry and
Loch Doon
Loch Doon ( gd, Loch Dùin, ) is a freshwater loch in Carrick, Scotland. The River Doon issues from its northern end, while the loch itself receives waters from Gala Lane and Loch Enoch (in the Galloway Hills) via Eglin Lane.
History
In the ...
.
Dunskellie Castle and Cove House
Dunskellie Castle passed from the Irvings to the Johnstones in the 16th Century however this led to its destruction as in 1593 Sir James Johnstone of Dunskellie attacked the Maxwells in
Lockerbie
Lockerbie (, gd, Locarbaidh) is a small town in Dumfries and Galloway, south-western Scotland. It is about from Glasgow, and from the border with England. The United Kingdom Census 2001, 2001 Census recorded its population as 4,009. The town ...
and 700 were killed. As punishment he Johnstone's lands were confiscated and Dunskellie Castle was demolished. A typical 1680 two-storey laird's house was built with the stone from the old castle and in 1844 Cove House was built, incorporating parts of the older building.
Gazetteer for Scotland
/ref>
Inscriptions
On the rock face beside the entrance path are two inscriptions, the first being a shield with a cross in the centre and a castellated bar across the top of the device whilst the second is a five pointed star.[Mercer (1997), Page 28]
Above the entrance is the following inscription :
:''"Within this cave kynge robert bruce''
:''from foes pursuent soughte a truce''
:''lyke my Forbearers who for hym fell''
:''j ermengarde doe guard yt well"''.[Mercer (1997), Page 28]
This was carried out for Emma Ermengarda Ogilvy who had married Patrick Greville-Nugent. Emma was the granddaughter of George Ogilvy of Cove, the family having come from Aberdeenshire, acquiring the Cove Estate in 1835. The inscription is recorded as being present in 1902.[Mercer (1997), Page 28]
Etymology
The name 'Dunskellie' is said to derive from the Scots Gaelic "''dun sgealaighe''", meaning the fort of the teller of tales or romances. The term 'grotto' may also add credence to the suggestion that the cave was once used as a hermitage and had been the abode of a soothsayer or hermit such as at St Robert's Cave in Knaresborough
Knaresborough ( ) is a market and spa town and civil parish in the Borough of Harrogate, in North Yorkshire, England, on the River Nidd. It is east of Harrogate.
History
Knaresborough is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 as ''Chenares ...
and Warksworth in Northumberland.[Mercer (1997), Page 28]
Rock-cut bench
A four metre long and half metre deep bench cut into the cliff lies around 2 metres above the Kirtle Water
The Kirtle Water is a river in Dumfries and Galloway in southern Scotland. It rises on the southern slopes of Haggy Hill where its headwaters are impounded to form Winterhope Reservoir. Below the dam it flows in a generally southerly direction pas ...
beneath am overhanging section of the cliff below Bruce's Cave. Cut into the rock is the inscription 'M--- Irving, 1794' and many other rock-cut graffiti are present.[Mercer (1997), Page 28]
See also
*Cleeves Cove
Cleeves Cove or Blair Cove is a solutional cave system on the Dusk Water in North Ayrshire, Scotland, close to the town of Dalry.
Cave system
The Cleeves, or Cleaves Cove (Scots) cave system is situated in the lower beds of Carboniferous limes ...
*Peden's Cave (Auchinbay)
Peden's Cave is at least partly artificial and is set into a craggy outcrop of red sandstone rocks overlooking the River Lugar just below the farm of Auchinbay in East Ayrshire, Scotland, close to the town of Ochiltree. Traditionally it is said t ...
References
;Notes
;Sources
* Mercer, Roger (1997). ''Kirkpatrick Fleming, Dumfriesshire. An Anatomy of a Parish in South West Scotland''. Dumfriesshire and Galloway Natural History and Antiquarian Society. ISSN 0959-1052.
* ''Welcome to King Robert the Bruce's Cave'' King Robert the Bruce's Cave Caravan Park.
External links
Video footage of Bruce's Cave.
Caves of Scotland
Protected areas of Dumfries and Galloway
Landforms of Dumfries and Galloway
14th century in Scotland
Dumfriesshire
Parishes in Dumfries and Galloway
{{Civil parishes in Dumfries and Galloway