Jonathan's Cave

Traditionally called Factors Cave and Cat Cave.

There are 11 recorded Pictish carvings in Jonathan's Cave and 5 birds which probably date to this period. The Wemyss family, who take their name from the caves, feature a swan on their coat of arms. Swans or geese-like birds are the most common in the Wemyss Caves.

Another notable carving is of a boat. If Pictish, it is the earliest depiction of a boat in Scotland.

Nineteen early Christian crosses are recorded in this cave. Was this cave an early church and place of pilgrimage?

W4D-JC-001

W4D-JC-001
Swan or goose


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W4D-JC-002
Greek cross


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Double disc and unidentified animal


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Arch shape


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Animal-like shape


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W4D-JC-007
Triangle and bird-like shape


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Animals, birds and shapes


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Bird


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Faint double discs


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Cannon drawn in 20th century


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Leaping salmon


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Fish drawn in 20th century


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Bird, rectangle, double disc


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Wolf or dog


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Double disc and fleur-de-lis shape


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Often described as a horse or bull


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Horse/bull or deer shape


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Pedestalled cross shapes sometimes described as tridents


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Pedestalled cross shape sometimes described as a trident


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Sometimes described as human shaped


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Triangle, deer-like animal shape and circle


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Damaged cross


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Damaged crosses


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Damaged cross


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Two pedestalled damaged crosses


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Greek crosses


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Greek crosses


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A Greek cross and a swastika form cross


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Greek cross


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Greek cross


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5-oared boat steered by a 6th figure seated in the stern


Standing on the shoulders of giants
How antiquarians and archaeologists have studied and recorded the Wemyss caves over the centuries.


Fly-around Jonathan's Cave
A virtual tour of the 3D point cloud generated from the laser scan.


Outside Jonathan's Cave, looking towards MacDuff's Castle and doocot. Photograph by John Patrick 1902.
© Courtesy of RCAHMS (Society of Antiquaries of Scotland Collection)


Jonathan's Cave carvings illustrated by James Drummond.
From JY Simpson, Notices of Some Ancient Sculptures on the Walls of Caves in Fife, PSAS 1866.


Jonathan's Cave carvings illustrated by Andrew Gibb.
From John Stuart, The Sculptured Stones of Scotland, 1867.


Lost Pictish beasts and birds in Jonathan's Cave illustrated by James Drummond.
From JY Simpson, Notices of Some Ancient Sculptures on the Walls of Caves in Fife, PSAS 1866.


Lost Pictish beasts and birds in Jonathan's Cave illustrated by Andrew Gibb.
From John Stuart, The Sculptured Stones of Scotland, 1867.


Rubbing of swan and Pictish beast (destroyed) in Jonathan's Cave, J. Romilly Allen, 1890.
© The British Library Board (37573)


Lost Pictish beasts and birds in Jonathan's Cave. Photograph by John Patrick 1902.
© Courtesy of RCAHMS (Society of Antiquaries of Scotland Collection)


Horse/lion? in Jonathan's Cave illustrated by James Drummond.
From JY Simpson, Notices of Some Ancient Sculptures on the Walls of Caves in Fife, PSAS 1866.


Horse/lion? in Jonathan's Cave illustrated by Andrew Gibb
From John Stuart, The Sculptured Stones of Scotland, 1867.


Annoted rubbing of horse/lion in Jonathan's Cave, J. Romilly Allen, 1890.
© The British Library Board (37573)


Horse/lion? in Jonathan's Cave. Photograph by John Patrick 1902.
© Courtesy of RCAHMS (Society of Antiquaries of Scotland Collection)


Fish in Jonathan's Cave illustrated by James Drummond.
From JY Simpson, Notices of Some Ancient Sculptures on the Walls of Caves in Fife, PSAS 1866.


Fish in Jonathan's Cave illustrated by Andrew Gibb.
From John Stuart, The Sculptured Stones of Scotland, 1867.


Annoted rubbing of fish in Jonathan's Cave, J. Romilly Allen, 1890.
© The British Library Board (37573)


Photograph in J. Romilly Allen's notebooks of Jonathan's Cave wall showing fish, double disc and fleur de lys, c. 1890.
© The British Library Board (37542)


Wolf in Jonathan's Cave illustrated by James Drummond.
From JY Simpson, Notices of Some Ancient Sculptures on the Walls of Caves in Fife, PSAS 1866.


Wolf in Jonathan's Cave illustrated by Andrew Gibb.
From John Stuart, The Sculptured Stones of Scotland, 1867.


Rubbing of wolf (?) in Jonathan's Cave, J. Romilly Allen, 1890.
© The British Library Board (37573)


J. Patrick photograph in J. Romilly Allen's notebooks of Jonathan's Cave wall showing wolf and pedestalled crosses c. 1890.
© The British Library Board (37542)


J. Patrick photograph annotated by J. Romilly Allen of Jonathan's Cave wall showing wolf and pedestalled crosses c. 1890.
© The British Library Board (37542)


The first image of the Jonathan's Cave boat. Photograph by John Patrick 1902.
© Courtesy of RCAHMS (Society of Antiquaries of Scotland Collection)