The face leering outta the cliff above the cave.
Images
The Black Cave from the South. Note the seal in the left foreground. Peregrine in the sky. Can you see the face in the cliff above the cave?
The mighty cave entrance at the foot of the cliffs at Bennan Head.
Looking down into the Black Cave through the collapsed roof entrance halfway up the cliff.
The last known occupants of the Black Cave, a traveller family, back in 1890. They are outside the western entrance.
Articles
Gruagach, a supernatural female who presided over cattle and took a kindly interest in all that pertained to them. In return a libation of milk was made to her when the women milked the cows in the evening. If the oblation were neglected, the cattle, notwithstanding all precautions, were found broken loose and in the corn; and if still omitted, the best cow in the fold was found dead in the morning. The offering was poured on ‘clach na gruagaich,’ the ‘gruagach’ stone. There is hardly a district in the Highlands which does not possess a ‘leac gruagaich’ – a ‘gruagach’ flagstone [...]
The following account was given to me by a woman at West Bennan in Arran in August 1895:
The ‘gruagach’ lived at East Bennan in a cave which is still called ‘uamh na gruagaich’ – cave of the ‘gruagach’, and ‘uamh na beiste’ – cave of the monster. She herded the cattle of the townland of Bennan, and no spring-loss, no death-loss, no mishap, no murrain, ever befell them, while they throve and fattened and multiplied right well.
The ‘gruagach’ would come forth with the radiant sun, her golden hair streaming on the morning breeze, and her rich voice filling the air with melody. She would wait on a grassy hillock afar off till the people would bring out their ‘creatairean,’ creatures, crooning a lullaby the while, and striding to and fro [...*]
The people of Bennan were so pleased with the tender care the ‘gruagach’ took of their corn and cattle that they resolved to give her a linen garment to clothe her body and down sandals to cover her feet. They placed these on a knoll near the ‘gruagach’ and watched from afar. But instead of being grateful she was offended, and resented their intrusion so much that she determined to leave the district. She placed her left foot on Ben Bhuidhe in Arran and her right foot on ‘Allasan,’ Ailsa Craig, making this her stepping-stone to cross to the mainland of Scotland or to Ireland. While the ‘gruagach’ was in the act of moving her left foot, a three-masted ship passed beneath, the mainmast of which struck her in the thigh and overturned her into the sea. The people of Bennan mourned the ‘gruagach’ long and loudly, and bewailed their own officiousness.
*There’s a song here. But as it’s long and Mr Carmichael was allegedly quite Creative when it came to Tradition, I’m leaving it out. You can see it on google books though in v1/2 of ‘Carmina Gadelica’ by Alexander Carmichael (1900). The huffy behaviour after being given clothing as a present sounds reminiscent of the behaviour of a Hob-Thrush.
This is supposed to be the largest cave in Arran. When it was visited by the OS in 1977, they found “no visible indication of its prehistoric or recent religious use.” Perhaps they weren’t looking hard enough, because John McArthur said in 1861:
The Monster or Black Cave yawns beneath the bold cliffs of Benan Head [..] It has been used until lately as a place of worship by the Islanders. Within its walls the relics of ancient habitation have been discovered – arrow-heads, chipped and polished, and flakes of flint, mingled with the shells of the whelk and the limpet, indicating that here the native artist had his workshop and his kitchen, and wrought out from the rough pebble the frail weapons of the chase.
‘Antiquities of Arran’, p99.
Sites within 20km of Black Cave
-
East Bennan
photo 6 description 2 -
Creag Dhubh
photo 4 -
Torrylin
photo 17 description 7 -
Baile Meadhonach
photo 2 -
Ossian’s Mound
description 1 -
Cleiteadh
photo 2 description 1 -
Kildonan
photo 8 description 1 -
Aucheleffan
photo 12 description 2 -
Dippin
photo 4 -
Largybeg
photo 14 description 1 -
Carn Ban
photo 3 description 1 -
Oscar’s Grave
description 3 -
Torr an Loisgte
photo 11 description 2 -
Giants’ Graves
photo 33 description 7 -
Sliddery
photo 4 -
Torr a Chaistell
description 2 -
Allt Cul Corriehiam
photo 5 description 2 -
Allt Cul Corriehiam 2
photo 2 description 1 -
Allt Cul Corrriehiam
photo 3 -
Monamore
photo 12 description 3 link 1 -
Kingscross Point
photo 3 description 1 -
Monamore Glen
description 1 -
Kilpatrick Dun (or Cashel)
description 1 -
Cnoc Ballygown
description 1 -
North Blairmore
photo 2 -
Dunan Beag
photo 11 description 1 -
Dunan Mor
photo 11 description 2 -
Lamlash
photo 21 description 6 -
Shiskine
photo 2 description 1 -
The Doon
photo 4 link 1 -
The Doon
photo 4 -
Tormore I
photo 4 description 1 -
Glenrickard Chambered Cairn
photo 2 description 1 -
Clauchlands
description 1 -
Machrie Moor
photo 92 forum 4 description 13 link 2 -
Tormore II
photo 3 description 1 -
Moss Farm II
photo 4 description 1 -
Moss Farm
photo 12 description 3 -
Moss Farm North
photo 10 description 4 -
King’s Cave
photo 13 description 4 link 2 -
Moss Farm Road
photo 16 description 6 -
Moyish
photo 5 description 2 -
Machrie Moor chambered cairn
photo 1 description 1 -
Allt Mor
photo 2 description 1 -
Monyquil
photo 5 description 2 -
Stronach Wood
photo 56 forum 1 description 8 link 2 -
Stronach
photo 11 description 5 -
Machriewater Foot
photo 8 description 1 -
Machrie Burn
photo 7 description 1 -
Deer Park
photo 18 description 3 -
Auchagallon
photo 23 description 5 -
Druid Auchencar
photo 16 description 4 -
Merkland
photo 9 description 2