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Crutherland Cave

East Kilbride, Calderglen, Lanarkshire.

Up a goat trail at the foot of as rock crag about 20 m above the Calder Water about 100 m south of the junction with the Rotten Burn, the cave is approximately 2 m wide by 3 m high by 5 m deep with a small (0.75 m square 1 m high) man-made niche to the rear. The cave entrance consists of a widened crack set at a corner of the cliff,, roughly rectangular except for the top 2 m where it reverts to a narrow fissure. Its regular shape hints at a door being fitted at some time in the past. The floor is flat and shows signs of having been leveled with a couple of squared off platforms to the right. The back of the cave (where the cave bifurcates) it describes an S-bend and becomes far too tight to enter, although the 'joint' continues into the hillside. A very small cavity, it shows some evidence of occupation of frequent use. The floor leveling may indicate a considerable expenditure of labour (see Chris Ladd for an alternative explanation) although the restricted space does not lend itself to being lived in. Good shelter from bad weather for up to ten persons but only if they remain standing.

The cave is almost directly below where the Pylon line crosses the river. Best access is either from the Crutherland Hotel, off the A726, and following the path that runs down to the river , or walk along the riverside , either south from the country park , or east from the Old Flatt Bridge. Another route would be to walk northeast through a narrow arm of woods onto the open fields crossing two fences (one right at the wood edge) at which point a descent to the cave can be found. [AJ]

It is easily found from the East side of South Bridge. From there continue South until the trail turns East where the farm stream meets the river. At this point there is no obvious way to cross, although the water is shallow in summer and there are stones to keep your feet dry as well as tree roots and branches to help you down and back up. Cross near to where the waters meet. When you have crossed, there is no longer an obvious path like the one you have been on, however, keeping right and staying close to the banks, if you look back you will notice the remains of man-made stairs that were once part of a bridge (that would've been handy), and also there is a noticeable trail that leads South. After a very short walk it opens up near a large tree with cliffs to your left, there you should see the cave opening and the short scramble up. [eastkilbrideconnect]

Within the polices of the former Crutherland House estate and slightly south of where the Rotten Burn meets the Calder Water is a cave nestled high in the rock face. This shady den sits at the top of a conspicuous crag of romantic rugged aspect. The 'cave' is of snug dimensions; fitting about 8-10 people if they were crammed in.

T. E. Niven's History of East Kilbride Parish, 1965, describes the confluence of the Rotten Burn with the Calder Water as a remote spot which was popular for the illicit distilling of moonshine whisky in the 19th century. The pot still or 'worm' was on one occasion hidden here whilst the moonshiners were away, and a local cadger whilst collecting thatch, found and stole the worm and hid it in the nearby Clamps Wood. The Cave being in such close proximity to the site of the confluence, coupled with the deliberate secluded appearance of the cave infers the two sites may relate. It is entirely possible the cave was used for storing a pot still, moonshine whisky, or both. [Niven, T.E.] The source Niven used relates to newspaper reports from the 1800s (the early 19th century). The illicit production of moonshine in the gorge is only recorded for the early-1800s, and principally the 1810s-20s. Many caves in Scotland were used for smuggling and the area around Torrance Glen was popular for this purpose but Niven provided no particular evidence that this cave was used. The traditions about the cave and smugglers are based on genuine material, the records of Watt and Begg, which identify this cave at the confluence of the watercourses. [Chris Ladd]

There is a critical interpretation issue in the previous coverage of the cave. Where it discusses a made floor within the cave, this may not be the case. The large-grained calcarious sandstone along this part of the gorge was known for its poor quality. On adjoining rock faces a phenomenon is visible where large boulders collapse and lie is disordered piles. The remaining rock faces are wet to the touch and give off a constant wet sandy residue. This debris falls away and descends the embankment where deep deposits fill the spaces between the fallen rocks . This process is so rapid that half a foot of perfectly level build-up can occur over a space of just 3-5 years. This is most visible on the northern side of the Rotten Burn near the confluence. In light of this, and noting the cleft in the roof of Crutherland Cave, it seems likely that the floor represents a relatively rapid build-up of the same debris build-up. It could have built up to its present extent over the past century or so. Human visitation may have contributed to its present appearance. This is important for the archaeological potential it may carry, because the earlier floor level and any artifacts may be preserved beneath this deposit. [Chris Ladd]

Alternative Names: Wallace's Cave

Notes: It is likely that Crutherland Cave is an attempt at creating a hideout - perhaps by Covenanters or smugglers in the 17th or 18th centuries.

The cave in earlier centuries could have served as a hiding place for the local lairds of Torrance in times of danger, such as when the English army burned down the nearby Torrance House, due to the local lairds being sympathetic to Mary Queen of Scots.

The name Wallace's Cave seems to have been applied to the cave in the late 1800s when excursions were made to the cave. Visitors would stop below the cave and sing patriotic songs to honour Wallace but this seems only to have been Romantic fantasy. There is no known connection to William Wallace.

Many inscriptions of people's initials and so on mark the cave inside and out, including a date of the 1900s which may be much earlier as the '9' looks like a '7'. This date can no longer be found. Previous references to Viking or Celtic inscriptions are either wildly exaggerated or completely made up. There is one symbol outside the cave which might possibly be Norse but is more likely to be relatively modern (c. 1990). [AJ] There never has been a 1700s date visible in the cave in recent times. The known inscription is for a 1980s date and relates to a well known local worthy who lived in the cave from time-to-time known to all and sundry as 'Big John' or 'Cosmic John' - John Dean Wilson - died tragically in the gorge in 1992 after falling into a waterfall. [Chris Ladds]

Slightly to the south of this feature (a few steps south) at the base of the rock face an entire slice of rock has been excavated deep into the rock face. This has been described as an ironstone mine which dates from the late 1700s/mid 1800s but the well defined mine in the gorge beside the cave [NS 65682 52072, Alt. 186] is a mid-1800s coal mine day level originally linked to the Crutherland workings entered by pit shafts above. [Chris Ladds]

The combined Calder Water and Rotten Burn , north of the confluence, is known as the Rotten Calder.

[FAKE NEWS] Archaeologists reputedly started investigating a site known as Crutherland Cave, Calderglen, in early 1990s after a stone frieze of Mithras and the bull was found there but it may have been part of stolen property, planted, from the burglary of a Northern Ireland stately home in the 1990s. [East Kilbride News] [FAKE NEWS]. This story - which did not appear in East Kilbride News - has been denounced as entirely spurious, created by an online troll. No such frieze was ever found, no such news coverage was ever created, the wider knowledge of the cave and certainly the current name for it did not exist at that time. There is no entry on the NMR, DES, WOSAS, CANMORE, SLLC or Glasgow Museums. It is simply fabricated and appears as just the one instance online.

Hydrographic Feeds: None

Hydrographic Resurgences: None