📌 Pittenweem, Fife
★★
Think for a minute about where the village of Pittenweem got its name from and you might realise that “weem” is an adaptation of the Gaelic “uamh”, meaning cave. Pittenweem actually means place of the cave, and indeed there’s a sizeable subterranean chamber under the hillside off Cove Wynd, the alley connecting the village harbour to its High Street. This chamber is St Fillan’s Cave, a natural cavern probably carved by an underground river thousands of years ago. The miracle-working Saint Fillan is believed to have lived in the cave in the 7th century, reading and writing in the gloom with the help of a luminous left arm. Inside, you can visit the stone altar, explore a dead-end passage and see the steep steps creating a former entrance to the cave from above. The cave is still a minor pilgrimage site, with Christian services occasionally held under the rock roof.
🌍 Location
📌 Cove Wynd, Pittenweem village centre
🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NO 550025
🛰️ GPS coordinates: 56.213222,-2.727491
🚌 Bus to Pittenweem
🚗 Street parking nearby
📝 Key info
⌚ Access by key from local shops – see below
🎫 £1 suggested donation
💬 The cave entrance is behind a locked gate. Pick up the key from Pittenweem Chocolate Company (on the High Street, a short uphill walk from the cave).
