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Janet's Cave

Cullen Bay, Portknockie, Moray, (Banffshire).

Raised beach sea cave.

A large natural cavern in the cliff on the sea shore, near the west end of Cullen Sands in which a woman named Janet Carstairs lived for sometime, she being at the time deranged in her mind. (NSA)

Nearby is Janet's Well, a copious spring of fresh water issuing from the base of the cliff on the sea shore. [Scotland's Places]

Slightly off vertical rift (eroded bedding plane) about 2 m wide forms a 6m tall cave which extends for 20m before ending abruptly. A low arch in the western [NW?] wall (St Duane's Den) links to adjacent bay. There is a narrow parallel passage on the left.

There may be some confusion between Janet's Cave and Preacher's Cave. A postcard from the 1890s marked Preacher's Cave clearly shows what is now called either Janet's Cave, Sports Cave or St Loraine Black Lady's Cave.

On the 1866 map what is now known as the Preacher' Cave is marked Janet's Cave and Jenny's Well is shown as Janet's Well. [K'nocker Snippets]

Alternative Names: Sports Cave, St Loraine Black Lady's Cavern, Preacher's Cave

Notes: Some of the Cullen Caves are used by climbers and boulderers.

This [Sports Cave] is the cave "behind" St Duane's Den, ie in the direction of Cullen. The rusty bolts are a good hint that you are in the correct cave. The over hanging wall has "St Loraine Black Lady's Cavern" graffitied, and sports Cullen Skank and warm ups and projects. The undercut wall opposite this has Underworld etc. [Scottish Climbs]

The people who live in the village [Portknockie] now might like to know how we lived 70 years ago' Then' there were always tinkers here, who lived in the caves beside Jennie's Well' They had a covering over the mouth of the cave and quite a few lived there as part of the community' They were friendly folk and they came into Portknockie selling-their wares or asking for tea' Not all of them were tinkers - maybe some had fallen out with their relatives.

A retired policeman lived there' He used to leave his pension book with William Findlay who had a shop near the Victoria Hotel' Each week he collected his book, got his pension' brought it back to the shop and then purchased some food'. [K'nocker, Bye Gone Days]

The Preacher's Cave: the large cave on the north side of the Aul Laft. Up until the late 1950s brag was played there every Sunday afternoon. [K'nocker. Portknockie Shoreline]