Wemyss4D

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
Swan or goose

W4D-JC-002
Greek cross

W4D-JC-004
Double disc and unidentified animal

W4D-JC-005
Arch shape

W4D-JC-006
Animal-like shape

W4D-JC-007
Triangle and bird-like shape

W4D-JC-009
Animals, birds and shapes

W4D-JC-012
Bird

W4D-JC-013
Faint double discs

W4D-JC-014
Cannon drawn in 20th century

W4D-JC-015
Leaping salmon

W4D-JC-016
Fish drawn in 20th century

W4D-JC-017
Bird, rectangle, double disc

W4D-JC-019
Wolf or dog

W4D-JC-020
Double disc and fleur-de-lis shape

W4D-JC-021
Often described as a horse or bull

W4D-JC-023
Horse/bull or deer shape

W4D-JC-024
Pedestalled cross shapes sometimes described as tridents

W4D-JC-025
Pedestalled cross shape sometimes described as a trident

W4D-JC-026
Sometimes described as human shaped

W4D-JC-027
Triangle, deer-like animal shape and circle

W4D-JC-028
Damaged cross

W4D-JC-029
Damaged crosses

W4D-JC-030
Damaged cross

W4D-JC-031
Two pedestalled damaged crosses

W4D-JC-032
Greek crosses

W4D-JC-033
Greek crosses

W4D-JC-034
A Greek cross and a swastika form cross

W4D-JC-035
Greek cross

W4D-JC-036
Greek cross

W4D-JC-037
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.

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.

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.

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)