Documents

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The legal document available for download below constitutes the formal designation of the monument under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. The additional details provided on this page are provided for information purposes only and do not form part of the designation. Historic Environment Scotland accepts no liability for any loss or damages arising from reliance on any inaccuracies within this additional information.

• Type

  Legal Documents

  Title

  SM8121_Legal Doc

  Download(https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/document/600013293)

Summary

Description

The monument comprises a group of sandstone caves, known as the Caiplie Caves, which contain a number of inscribed crosses of varying size and two Pictish symbols on their walls. The form of caves themselves has also been enhanced by working; as well as general tooling marks, there are occasional niches and small shelves etc, and an arched doorway.

The form of this massive sandstone outcrop is complex with many natural fissures, cracks and gullies. There are three well-defined caves. The largest is the Chapel Cave, approximately 10m deep and 5m high, with a broad entrance some 4m wide. The cave shows many toolmarks on its walls where the chamber has been widened and the walls smoothed. There are numerous incised and pecked crosses on the walls, an enhanced doorway connecting the cave to another chamber and a large rectangular recess cut into a wall near the cave's entrance.

Immediately outside this cave the remains of another cave may be seen, approximately 4m above ground level. This upper chamber was reached by a flight of stone steps carved into the rock, the remains of which are still visible. This chamber reportedly contained a stone 'bed', but any features are now concealed by collapse. Some 6m to the N of the Chapel Cave is the Mortuary Cave, in front of which human burials were discovered in 1841. This cave is some 4m deep with a high narrow entrance.

A Pictish 'arch' symbol has been cut into a ledge at the rear of the cave. A third cave lies a short distance to the E of the Mortuary Cave. This has a low entrance and is a long tunnel shape, extending some 30m into the rock. There is a finely cut swastika carved near the entrance. There is another collapsed cell (sometimes called a grotto) near the mouth of the Mortuary Cave. This contains a carved stone seat.

The Caiplie Caves have been linked with the Early Christian saints of Scotland since Andrew of Wyntoun referred in 1426 to their use by St Adrian (Ethernan), who is also associated with the nearby Isle of May. Some of the many incised and pecked crosses are probably Early Christian in date. Others are likely to be medieval and reflect the importance of the caves as a place of pigrimage and cult site through the centuries.

The area proposed for scheduling comprises the entire sandstone outcrop containing the caves and collapsed cells, and an area in front of the caves (as far as the mean limit of high water at spring tides) within which related material might be expected to survive. It is irregular in shape with maximum dimensions of 55m E-W by 75m N-S, as marked in red on the accompanying map extract.

Statement of National Importance

The monument is of national importance because of its potential to contribute to our understanding of the nature of Early Christian activities in eastern Scotland, and because of the quantity and diversity of its Early Christian and Medieval carvings. The caves may be expected to contain material relating to the occupation and function(s) of the site.

References

Bibliography

About Scheduled Monuments

Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for designating sites and places at the national level. These designations are Scheduled monuments, Listed buildings, Inventory of gardens and designed landscapes and Inventory of historic battlefields.

We make recommendations to the Scottish Government about historic marine protected areas, and the Scottish Ministers decide whether to designate.

Scheduling is the process that identifies, designates and provides statutory protection for monuments and archaeological sites of national importance as set out in the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979.

We schedule sites and monuments that are found to be of national importance using the selection guidance published in Designation Policy and Selection Guidance (2019)

Scheduled monument records provide an indication of the national importance of the scheduled monument which has been identified by the description and map. The description and map (see ‘legal documents’ above) showing the scheduled area is the designation of the monument under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. The statement of national importance and additional information provided are supplementary and provided for general information purposes only. Historic Environment Scotland accepts no liability for any loss or damages arising from reliance on any inaccuracies within the statement of national importance or additional information. These records are not definitive historical or archaeological accounts or a complete description of the monument(s).

The format of scheduled monument records has changed over time. Earlier records will usually be brief. Some information will not have been recorded and the map will not be to current standards. Even if what is described and what is mapped has changed, the monument is still scheduled.

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Find out more about scheduling and our other designations at www.historicenvironment.scot/advice-and-support. You can contact us on 0131 668 8914 or at designations@hes.scot.