Well Cave Open Day

The Wemyss Caves are famous for the ancient Pictish carvings that have been adorning their walls for over 1,500 years, but there are many interesting more recent traditions associated with the caves.

Until the early 20th Century, the Well Cave was used by local people for the long-forgotten Handsel Monday celebration early in the new year. They sang hymns, exchanged gifts and left us their names carved onto the walls of this incredible space - many of which are still common locally.

• Read about Handsel Monday here

Due to a rock fall the cave has been closed for the last few years, but we have put in place measures to enable special open days to allow the public to see inside. So, if you want to learn about Handsel Monday, or find out about the well which gives the cave its name, or perhaps discover whether there really was a secret tunnel connecting to the castle above, then sign up for this special day! SWACS guides will be on hand to escort you and introduce you to the fascinating and unique history of this space.

Please note that you must be able to crawl a short distance (not more than 2m) through a very low tunnel to get into the main chamber of the cave. Also, it is not recommended if you are claustrophobic.

The cave being an enclosed space, it will be necessary to limit numbers in order to keep everybody safe, so you must book your place in advance.

Visitors will need to make their way down to Castle Green where the cave is situated. The route will be signposted both from MacDuff Castle and from the parking areas along the sea front.

There is no charge for this event, but as a voluntary organisation we encourage donations from those who can afford it. Your donations enable us to continue protecting the site so that it can to be enjoyed into the future.