Gilmerton Coves

Extending the Jubilee holidays by taking the rest of this week off ... Kryptomart (testing out the sacrificial alter!) and I decided to visit Gilmerton Coves.

Gilmerton Cove is a series of underground passageways and chambers hand-carved from sandstone located beneath the streets of Gilmerton, an ex-mining village, now an Edinburgh suburb.

There are many theories about the origins of the Cove and its purpose. It is known that it was the 18th century residence of local blacksmith, George Paterson. The parish records show that he was reprimanded for allowing alcohol to be consumed within the Cove on the sabbath. It is not known whether George Paterson was responsible for carving the Cove.

Popular theories are that it was used as a drinking den for local gentry, a Covenanters refuge, and a smugglers' lair. Extensive archaeological and historical research has failed to resolve the mystery. In 2007, the documentary television series Cities of the Underworld featured Gilmerton Cove in the episode Scotland's Sin City which postulates that the Cove was linked to a nearby Hellfire Club building via a secret passage.