History and excavation The Holy Cave, Hunterston

the entrance holy cave.

when excavated in 1879 cave measured @ 27ft long , 6ft high , wide 15ft rear. excavation went down depth of 6ft before hitting bedrock , 3 levels discernible, each made of layers of trodden ashes , sea shells, first @ 18 ins, second @ 30ins, , basal layer @ 39ins deep. many bones found including deer, cat, pig, horse, sheep, goat, ox, , rabbit bones found, horse bones between upper , second level dog bones between middle , basal levels.

a significant find bone object rectangular hole @ 1 end found on second level , flint object found above basal level. object made of slate object found. pottery fragments found including coarse, unglazed, reddish appearance , thinner example green-brown glaze similar scottish medieval pottery. national museum of scotland holds bone implement , pottery fragments (accession numbers. hm 3-4).

a shelter have once existed @ cave entrance although no recognisable signs survive of concavities etc used support such arrangement. apparent man-made workings on rock face exist close absence of religious symbols or graffiti of kind, soft red sandstone eroded rain , wind action , such markings may have been lost if ever existed.

the ardeer cave


smith s cave or rock shelter @ hawking craig.

a cave exists near site of old ardeer house in stevenston. until covered on remains of dressed stone frame formed iron grille on hole in cave roof suggesting use grotto in 19th century. visible remains suggested souterrain, near absence of records of these in south-west scotland make unlikely. passage lined corbelled drystone walling, roofed capstones, , leads natural cave section may have been formed wave action shows water-scour likley have been created wave action. areas of undisturbed stratified deposits have been found, evidence of occupation, such hearth, bones, , fragment of glass.

st molaise s cave

a similar cave or rock shelter survives on holy isle (off east coast of arran) saint molaise, irish saint , abbot of old leighlin in co. carlow, supposed have lived in 6th , 7th centuries. parallels can drawn saint ninian s cave @ glasserton in dumfries , galloway.