Wemyss Caves ***
Region: Fife & St Andrews
In this region: <<<<<
© Copyright Oliver Dixon and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence
Description:
People have lived in Fife for thousands of years and nowhere is that more obvious than at East Wemyss. Naturally formed by the sea, the Wemyss Caves were ready made shelters for early Fifers with a seafood bounty on their doorstep. These caves hold the highest concentration of Pictish symbols found anywhere in Scotland. Not only are the carvings inside beautiful, but they’re also a fascinating glimpse into some of the most mysterious people to walk these shores.
We have no written accounts from the Picts themselves, so their language and culture has been lost to the mists of time. What we do have are hundreds of carved symbol stones scattered across Scotland, with no idea of their meaning. The Wemyss Caves contain dozens of these images, created even before those elaborate standing stones appeared. There are 60 recognised Pictish symbols featured all over Scotland and these caves once displayed 49 of them.