The Wemyss Caves, which are believed to have been the product of sea action some 8000-5000 years ago, are situated on the north shore of the Firth of Forth in or near to the village of East Wemyss.
The Caves are historically precious due to the high number of carvings which are inscribed on their walls. The earliest of these are thought to date to the Bronze Age, whilst the vast majority are connected with the Pictish period. The Pictish carvings constitute the earliest style of Pictish art (Class I) and are widely thought to represent the highest concentration of Picitsh cave carvings in Britain.
There were initially eleven caves in total, two of which – The Glassworks Cave and the Michael Cave – were situated on the west side of the village. Neither of these caves exists today. There are, however, six remaining caves along the coastline to the east of the village: Court Cave, Doo Cave, Well Cave, Jonathan’s Cave, Sliding Cave and Gas Works Cave.
The Caves have featured on the popular archaeological television programme, Time Team (2004), ITV’s Off the Beaten Track (2014) and in Scottish crime author, Val McDermid’s novel A Darker Domain (2008).
To protect the contents of the caves from damage, the gates are locked during the week and unlocked during daylight hours on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. If you wish to visit at other times, you can borrow a key from local shops. Opening hours are available on their websites. A £10 deposit is payable and the key must be returned the same day.
Alternatively you can join one of the public guided tours on Sundays, and we can also provide tours on other days by arrangement.
Our keyholders are:
McDuff Corner Shop Main Avenue, KY1 4PJ |
The Perfect Scoop 23 Main Rd, KY1 4RE |
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Monday | 06:00 – 20:00 | Closed |
Tuesday | 06:00 – 20:00 | Closed |
Wednesday | 06:00 – 20:00 | Closed |
Thursday | 06:00 – 20:00 | 14:00 – 20:00 |
Friday | 06:00 – 20:00 | 12:00 – 20:00 |
Saturday | 06:00 – 20:00 | 12:00 – 20:00 |
Sunday | 06:00 – 17:00 | 12:00 – 20:00 |