St Ninian's Cave

  • Physgill, near Whithorn, Dumfries and Galloway

Overview

Experience the solitude of a sea-side cave said to be the hideaway of an early Christian saint.

Tradition holds that St Ninian’s Cave was the hermitage of its eponymous saint. This can’t be verified, but it may well have functioned as a retreat from the monastery at Whithorn.

Ten crosses are cut into the cave wall itself, and 18 early Christian carved stones have been found in the cave. They can now be found at Whithorn Priory and Museum.

Opening times

St Ninian's Cave is currently closed to allow for conservation works.

Historic Scotland

Facilities

Download our visitor app

Discover more on the go – the Historic Scotland app lets you find out about Scotland’s most iconic places wherever you are.

Plan your visit

More than 20 of our sites are now open. Please book your tickets in advance.

Become a member

Join Historic Scotland to visit our properties free of charge for a full year and support our work at the same time.

Hire a site for filming

Use one of our fantastic locations on your next shoot for an awe-inspiring backdrop to your work.

Learning visits

Our 300+ historic places serve as creative inspiration for all sorts of learning activities – and for learners of all ages.

Search our events

See the past brought to life by the imaginative year-round programme of events at our properties.