'Cleeves Cove', Dusk Glen

NS34NW 5 3177 4744.

(NS 3177 4744) Ceeves Cove (NR)

OS 6" map (1970)

Cleaves Cove, situated at 170ft OD on the S side of Dusk Glen, is a limestone cavern. Some sections were made in the deposits in several of the passages by Smith in 1883. Among the relics found were the following: Surface Deposit - A silver ring, an emerald colour glass bead, a bronze finger ring, an iron spearhead, and fragments of "rude black pottery", wheel turned and milk glazed. From the Second Deposit came a worked fragment of red deer horn, a polished deer horn implement, and a small bone implement. Other finds include two bronze spiral rings, listed among Viking material by Shetelig, but regarded as undatable by Clarke. Also a flint knife, a shale spindle whorl, a chert axe, a bone spoon, and numerious bones. A collection of relics from the cave was donated to the National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland (NMAS) in 1931 (accession no: HM 42-55).

A Viking iron arrowhead "from the same locality" is also noted by Shetelig.

J Smith 1889; 1895; H Shetelig 1940; D V Clarke 1971

Cleeves Cove is as described by Smith. As far as could be ascertained, his plan is correct. A thick deposit of mud covers the floors of the passages.

Visited by OS (DS) 30 August 1956

There are three separate entrances to this cave system, some 10 to 15m apart, along the steep limestone face of the glen. Access to them is difficult, and the two easternmost entrances (both c. 1.5 by 1.0m) are partly blocked by soil wash. The W entrance is a wet, 3m high and 1m wide, fissure.

Little daylight penetrates the caves, and no internal inspection was possible.

Visited by OS (JRL) 14 October 1982

Two bronze spiral finger-rings found unstratified.

E J MacKie 1971