On Sunday 15 February my wife Vivien and I took a drive out to Gilmerton Cove. This is a strange enigmatic cave-like underground structure located on the outskirts of Edinburgh. Our delightful, knowledgeable and very entertaining guide, Margaretanne Dugan, is best known for running the highly successful Rosslyn Tours. As a local tour guide and businesswoman, Margaretanne agreed just over a year ago to take over the running of the Gilmerton Cove which is truly one of Scotland’s best-kept secrets.
This place is a real mystery. Many sites claim to be mysterious without any real substance but the fact of the matter with this strange, hand hewn, subterranean marvel is that no one really knows who created it, for what purpose or exactly when it came into being.
The traditional historical tale states that the structure was the result of five years hard labour by a local Blacksmith, George Paterson, who completed it in 1724. It is on record that he did indeed live in the structure until 1737 with his family. A strange inscription which once sat above the door from his time read: "Upon the earth thrives villainy and woe, but happiness and I do dwell below, My hands hewed out this rock into a cell, Wherein from din of life I safely dwell. On Jacob's pillow nightly lies my head, My house when living and my grave when dead, Inscribe upon it when I'm dead and gone I lived and died within my mother's womb."
The final resting place of George Paterson has never been established and many claim that he’s still in the Cove buried in one of the sealed off chambers!
Excepting the hidden sections of the structure, which is a mystery in itself, the areas that can currently be explored are referred to as the ‘chapel’, the ‘bedroom’ the ‘forge’ and the ‘wine cellar’ amongst others but one thing for me is sure. Descriptions aside, the cove certainly doesn’t have a ‘homely’ feeling about it.
Additional theories about the place are numerous. Some say that witches used it as a meeting place for their local coven and it’s also been claimed that it was home to a Scottish Hellfire Club. Others say that it is possibly 1000 years old and possibly a contemporary of the strange caves at Hawthornden adjacent to Rosslyn Chapel. Others suggest that it may be even older and the site of a Roman mystery school, or perhaps hosted templar or Masonic rites of later ages, or indeed all of the above.
Psychics have visited the site in recent years and have reported a plethora of strange phenomena. My wife Vivienne who’s normally quite sceptical of such things was shocked and puzzled today by an apparent disembodied voice she heard clearly saying, “Excuse me!” This may have come from outside and somehow been strangely amplified by the shape of the cove. We’re guessing however and can’t be sure. It did for us add to the intrigue of the place – and Yes we will certainly be back again!
Whatever your own personal interests, the hidden gem that Gilmerton Cove is, is well worth the visit. For more info’ visit www.gilmertoncove.org.uk
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