Scheduled Monuments›Scotland›King's Cave,Torbeg,Blackwaterfoot
Torbeg,blackwaterfoot

King's Cave,Torbeg,Blackwaterfoot

Scotland
HES SM410
Site type
Torbeg,blackwaterfoot
Nation
Scotland
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic Environment Scotland

Overview

History & significance

King's Cave is a natural sea cave located on the west coast of the Isle of Bute near Blackwaterfoot, within the parish of Torbeg. The cave has long been associated with medieval tradition, particularly legends concerning Robert the Bruce, though archaeological evidence for occupation and use extends back to earlier periods. The site consists of a substantial natural cavern in the coastal geology, which has attracted human use and settlement activity spanning multiple historical phases. The cave remains of archaeological interest as evidence of utilisation of natural rock shelters in the Clyde region, though the precise dating and extent of different occupation periods require ongoing scholarly assessment.

King's Cave,Torbeg,Blackwaterfoot is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM410. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is King's Cave,Torbeg,Blackwaterfoot?

King's Cave is a natural sea cave located on the west coast of the Isle of Bute near Blackwaterfoot, within the parish of Torbeg. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM410.

Who is responsible for protecting King's Cave,Torbeg,Blackwaterfoot?

King's Cave,Torbeg,Blackwaterfoot is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic Environment Scotland — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Scotland. The official designation reference is SM410.

What other scheduled monuments are near King's Cave,Torbeg,Blackwaterfoot?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Caves,S of King's Cave,Isle of Arran (0.1 km), Tormore, hut circles 450m ENE of Torr Righ Mor (1 km), Tormore, hut circles 700m and 760m E of (1.1 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about King's Cave,Torbeg,Blackwaterfoot

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of King's Cave,Torbeg,Blackwaterfoot's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Stat Accounts
The parish Statistical Accounts of the 1790s and 1830s, describing life, work and population here.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
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Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

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Nearby

Other scheduled monuments within 10 km

Caves,S of King's Cave,Isle of Arran
S of king's cave,isle of arran0.1 km
Tormore, hut circles 450m ENE of Torr Righ Mor
Post-Medieval · Hut circles 450m ene of torr righ mor1 km
Tormore, hut circles 700m and 760m E of
Hut circles 700m and1.1 km
Tormore, hut circle 450m SE of Torr Righ Beag
Post-Medieval · Hut circle 450m se of torr righ beag1.1 km
Torr Righ Mor,hut circles and cultivation remains S of
Hut circles and cultivation remains1.1 km
Tormore,hut circle 510m ESE of Torr Righ Beag
Post-Medieval · Hut circle 510m ese of torr righ beag1.5 km
Machrie Moor, prehistoric settlement 650m SSE of Crochandoon
Prehistoric settlement 650m sse of crochandoon1.5 km
The Doon,fort and standing stones
Bronze Age · Fort and standing stones1.7 km
The ground beneath

The bedrock under King's Cave,Torbeg,Blackwaterfoot

King's Cave,Torbeg,Blackwaterfoot stands on Early Devonian sandstone, bedrock that formed in the Early Devonian. The rock here is sandstone.

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