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Lady's Cave

Seaton Cliffs, Arbroath, Angus, (Forfarshire).

A seacave with a fairly short but high and wide chamber. There are lots of large boulders near the entrance.

Alternative Names: Doo' Cave

Notes: Info from Iain Greig.

This cave has not been measured - above figures are visual estimates.

From Brodie, 1904, p 23

"Close to this [Dickmont's Den Cave E (sea) entrance] there is a cavern frequented by rock pigeons, and variously known as the "Doo Cave", or "Lady's Cave". The first title explains itself, and the other owes its existence to a tradition that in far off days when barons held unlimited sway, a former Laird of Seaton hid a young and beautiful heiress, whom a perfidious guardian wanted to force into an unwelcome marriage, till a fitting opportunity occurred for effecting her escape. If this were so, it is to be hoped for the lady's sake that her stay was short; for as the visitor may quite easily imagine, even on a fine summer's day, the sound of the advancing and receding waves, broken up into a hundred echos, as well as the tide stealthily making its way up the dimly lighted cavern, must have given the lonely maiden a very creepy feeling."

The OS has Lady's Cave marked beside the next headland NE - ie that containing Three Storey House. The OS namebook has: " On the shore SE [South East] side of the parish. This name applies to a Cave in a Rocky Cliff which overhangs the High Water: it is supposed that a Lady belonging to Seaton House formerly Occupied this Cave for refuge. " This agrees with Brodie about a Lady using a cave for refuge, but is unspecific about location.

It would be interesting to land inside the cave and investigate the practicality of staying there.