Recent studies of Gilmerton Cave in Scotland show that a mysterious network of underground tunnels was a Druidic temple over 2,000 years ago. Hand-carved corridors and secret chambers are associated with smugglers, Knights Templar and witchcraft.
Gilmerton Cave is located in Gilmerton, a suburb of Edinburgh, in Scotland. It was opened to visitors in 2003 and has been an educational and entertainment resource ever since. At the same time, the cave is an object of restoration and conservation, it is preserved for future generations. Most experts who have investigated the site have been unable to pinpoint the true origins of several stone tables and chairs found in Gilmerton Cave.
Inside Gilmerton Cave.
Photo: CC BY SA 2.0
According to Julian Spaulding, writer, art critic, historian, and former head of the Glasgow museum and gallery, the temple could have been used for centuries. He believes that further research in Gilmerton Cave will reveal many secrets associated with the mysterious labyrinth.
According to official records, this monastery was created by the local blacksmith George Paterson in 1724. However, now Spaulding has found another way to explain the origin of this place. He claims that the temple was deliberately buried by ancient druids in order to preserve the sacred nature of this place. He is convinced that Paterson simply dug up the rubble that filled the remains of the temple.
“It is highly probable that the entire complex was deliberately buried, a widespread ancient practice that prevented the subsequent desecration of sacred sites. This interpretation explains why the two tunnels are still blocked by rubble. It is unclear why Paterson had to bury them after he had a huge problem digging them up,”Spaulding said.
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Gilmerton Cave is associated with witchcraft because it was used by the Hellfire Club in the 18th century. It was founded in the 1740s by Sir Francis Dashwood, owner of West Wycombe in Buckinghamshire. The main goal of the club was a hedonistic lifestyle associated with hanging out with women, drinking wine and enjoying music. Many members of the club were important figures in parliament, lords, etc.
Portrait of Sir Francis Dashwood. Artist William Hogard.
Photo: Public Domain
Spaulding believes that the womb-like system of rooms and corridors dates back to Celtic times or earlier. He argues that the identification of Gilmerton Cave as a Druidic temple is clear. According to his research, the site dates back to the Iron Age.
“It is known that druids met secretly in forests or caves, far from their homes. Gilmerton sits on a high ridge overlooking Cramond, the earliest settlement in Scotland, and later became a Roman fort,”says Spaulding.
Currently, the entrance to Gilmerton Cave looks like a traditional mountain cottage. Julian Spaulding hopes the cave will receive World Heritage status. If future exploration at Gilmerton Cave confirms Spalding's hypothesis, it will be another location on the Druidic Trail, along with the settlement of Roslin near Edinburgh, a stone pyramid near Bathgate, Dingual (the ancient Viking capital of Scotland), Callanish (land of the goddess Brigid) and many others.
Historic sites associated with Druids are found in other parts of the UK. According to the Independent, in the village of Stanway, Essex, near Colchester, the grave of a man who lived in the Iron Age was found in 1996. The remains are known as the "Druid of Colchester" and date back to around 40-60 AD. He could be a druid, a doctor, or both.
In his wood-trimmed grave, they also found a board game, a decorated cloak, a shiny black bead (believed to have magical properties) and medical instruments: scalpels, needles, a surgical saw, hooks, sharp and blunt short needles, etc. …
Surgical instruments that are found in Colchester.
Photo: Public Domain