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Goblin's Cave (The)

Trossachs, Coire na Uruisgean, Ben Venue, Loch Katrine, Stirlingshire.

Cave, Corrie.

Exact coordinates uncertain, but illustrations suggest a small talus or fissure cave within Coire nan Urisken. Possibly multiple scattered openings bearing the same name. If the cave was near the shore, it may have been drowned as the waters of Loch Katrine have been raised artificially.

"Located next to Loch Katrine and situated at the side or base of Ben Venue, can be found the Corrie of the Urisks. It goes by many names, Coirre nan Uriskin, Coire na Uruisgean, Coir-n'an-Uriskin, Cove of the Goblin, Cove of the Satyrs, Cove of the Fairies, Den of the Ghosts, Den of the Wild Men, The Goblin's Cave, the names are quite possibly endless. To add to the mystery, the location of the site itself also seems to vary, with some referring to it as being at the base of Ben Venue, others saying it can be found on the side of the mountain, some say it is a cave, and others say it is a cove formation in the rocks. To add to the confusion even more, there is a sign post on the walk along the edge of Loch Katrine that points out some rocks that are also home to Urisks, and it's completely on the opposite side of the loch to where the Ordnance Survey map marks the cove as being. The sign refers to the corrie as being "near here" but gives no further directions.

'An historical account of the settlements of Scotch Highlanders in America prior to the peace of 1783' by John MacLean (1900) includes an illustration of the Coire-nan-Uriskin and describes the cove as being "situated near the base of Ben Venue", and a sketch of Coire nan Uriskin drawn in 1831 by Joseph Mallord William Turner can be seen on the Tate Collection website." [The Faery Folklorist]

The Goblin's Cave, Loch Katrrine, Scotland, shown in a photograph taken by George Washington Wilson c.1880s, aka: Coire nan Urisken, Coir nan Uriskin, Hollow of the Satyrs, Urisk's Cave, Goblin Hollow - a site visited by Turner in 1831. [Alamy]

BEN VENUE, a mountain in south-west Perthshire, Scotland, 10 m. W. of Callander. Its principal peaks are 2393 and 2386 ft. high, and, owing to its position near the south-eastern shore of Loch Katrine, its imposing contour is one of the most familiar features in the scenery of the Trossachs, the mountain itself figuring prominently in The Lady of the Lake. On its northern base, close to the lake, Sir Walter Scott placed the Coir-nan-Uriskin, or "Goblin's Cave." Immediately to the south of the cave is the dell called Beal(ach)-nam-Bo, or "Cattle Pass," through which were driven to the refuge of the Trossachs the herds lifted by the Highland marauders in their excursions to the lands south of Loch Lomond. The pass, though comparatively unvisited, offers the grandest scenery in the district. [Encyclopedia Brittanica, 1911]

Long ago the Highlands were inhabited by bands of wild and shaggy men called Urisks. Those of Ben Venue on the south side of Loch Katrine possessed a figure between a goat and a man, similar to that of the Grecian satyrs. Many interesting legends are attached to these Urisks and at regular times they all met in solemn conclave "neath Ben Venue". One particular Urisk lived in the Goblin's cave, also known as Coire na Uriskin or Coire na Uruisgean. At this time the loch was a fertile valley inhabited by shepherds who obtained their water from a well on the side of Ben Venue. To protect their supply, the shepherds had consigned the well to the care of a beautiful maiden named Katrine. One day, though, the evil Urisk arrived at the fountain disguised as a handsome young Highlander and gave the maiden a drink from his bowl. Almost immediately she fell asleep, upon which the Urisk cut all the sluices of the well, allowing the water to flow into the valley below. The poor shepherds and their families were all drowned before they had a chance to escape. Soon afterwards the maiden awoke and on seeing the disaster caused by her lack of vigilance, she flung herself into the waters, which still bear her name today. That is one derivation of the name Katrine, a less inspired version gives it as simply coming from the word cateran, a Highland robber. [Fraser Rait]

Alternative Names: Goblin Cave, Coire nan Urisken, Coir nan Uriskin, Hollow of the Satyrs, Urisk's Cave, Goblin Hollow

Notes: The given 6-fig coordinates are generic for the lower part of Coire na Uruisgean.

In mythology, Urisks were considered to be a sort of lubberly supernaturals, who, like the Brownies of England could be gained over by kind attentions. They would be clothed in sheep or goat-skins, hence their 'hairy appearance, having a figure between a goat and a man.

"By many a bard, in Celtic tongue, Has Coire-nan-Uriskin been sung; A softer name the Saxons gave, And call'd the grot the Goblin-cave"

- Lady of the Lake, Sir Walter Scott

Hydrographic Feeds: None

Hydrographic Resurgences: None