Pipers Cave??

[Wired 2 The Moon]

Does Any1 know where this is?

i have heard many rumors about this place

is it actually real?

[Bobbie En Tejas]

There was a thread a while ago about caves and caverns. Pipers cave was mentioned a few time. The thread was called Caverns in General Chit Chat.

http://www.kintyreforum.com/viewtopic.p ... ght=pipers

[Annie]

From what I can recall, Piper's Cave is actually up Ben Gullion, but as to its exact location, I am not sure. There was a bar called the Piper's Cave in the town, which I used to manage, it is now the Corner House Cafe, strangely enough run by my cousin, David Dewar.

Small world huh!

[Wired 2 The Moon]

i looked at them sites given above^^^^

its really interesting trying to find out about thses caves.

They talked about the legend of the piper that was banished from the town. He went to the cave and died with his dog, but the piper was never found. the dog was found in southend by a farmer and was buried near the opening of the cave.

Its up to you if you believe it

Check out the sites for more information

I want to find the exact location so i can go.

Do you think the library will have information?

[Annie]

The Piper's Cave

There is a legend about Bengullion, that mighty hill rising above the south side of Campbeltown. How it came about is unclear but the following is a rough guide to the events surrounding the Piper's Cave.

The cave lay well up on the north face of Bengullion, the entrance a cleft in the rocks near the summit and hidden by thick gorse and heather.

Long ago there was a piper who could play the most wonderful tunes on his instrument, almost like a pied piper. The lilt of the notes captured the soul of those who listened to him. Some people said he was a the only man to escape the Dunaverty massacre and, with his little dog, played for money to buy food.

Time drove on and the piper grew old and feeble, his hair white, his frame bent with age but his playing remained virile and strong. Strangely his dog kept his strength and followed his master bravely, warning him of approaching dangers.

Eventually the council decided that the piper was an eyesore to the town, with his ragged clothes and the constant wail of the pipes. They decided that he should be put in the care of the parish and his dog drowned in the loch.

The piper must have had supernatural powers, for he sensed that the council was going to act against him. Gathering his few belongings, he headed up to the cave on Bengullion then turned to face the town far below. Taking up his pipes he blew the lament of Flodden. The notes beat down on the town and the council leaders were filled with remorse at their attitude to the piper.

Runners set off up the hill to bring the piper back down, but the lament grew weaker and then died in the stillness of the day. The piper could not be found nor his little dog. People searched into the cave, for one of his shoes were found, but that was all.

Sometime later near Southend a farmer out tending his sheep saw a little dog appear from an opening in some rocks. He noticed that the dog had lost most of its hair as if scraped off by rocks. As the farmer listened at the opening he heard far in the depths the wail of the pipes, haunting notes of Scotland's sad history. He took the dog home and cared for it and when it died he buried it near the opening where it had appeared to him many years before.

That is the legend of the Piper's Cave. Did the dog make it all the way to Southend, after his master had perished? Who can tell.

Yet when we used to go near the cave in the hot summer afternoons of the school holidays you could, if you listened carefully, hear in the depths the faint drone of the pipes mingling with the flitting insects and wonder if the piper was still striding in the dark with his pipes.

[jdcarra]

The Pipers Cave is located up Bengullion between Kilkerran Cemetery and Glenramskill and for those with map reading knowledge go to the Ordnance Survey website or OS map Sheet 68 Grid NR 728190. It is marked on the map.

It is roughly in or near the ringed part of the picture. Been some years since i last visited it.


Looking up Bengullion from the entrance to Kilkerran Cemetery.

[Wired 2 The Moon]

thanks for the pic thats amazing!!
Il have a look next time im down there.

Cheers agen

Where is the best bit to enter it?

[Ninja Mania]

Best to try the front door, the back door is usually locked. Duhhhhh

W.2 .T. M. Hmmm good name.

[Wired 2 The Moon]

i mean gettin up the hill dafty!!!

yes my name is the best

[ceartas]

Best to try the front door, the back door is usually locked.

But, if you want to get in the back door ..try the far end of the old cemetry at Southend. Near St Columbas footprints, there's a cave entrance that's (apparantly) the other end...where the dog came out .

I might have a photo somewhere but I'll need a few days to dig it out and scan it.

[no9man]

I used to play up bengullion when i was a wee fla cos it was just behind the house.

I thought it was more round towards rocky burn, kinda up behind the new houses that've just been built.

used to scare the living piss out of me, probably were peering into just some other random cave right enough

[jdcarra]

I used to play up bengullion when i was a wee fla cos it was just behind the house.

I thought it was more round towards rocky burn, kinda up behind the new houses that've just been built.

used to scare the living piss out of me, probably were peering into just some other random cave right enough

Picture at another angle showing cave above the new houses as said no9man.



Zoomed in on the cave entrance area

[Wired 2 The Moon]

oh nice pics



im going up there soon

[Dunc]

If I remember correctly the entrance is directly above the small yacht and about 1/3 way up the photo among the green bushes.
Entrance is very steep and very slippery all the time. A rope is needed to go into it and obviously someone at the open end to hold it!!. plus a torch.It goes down very steep then there,s a large pool of water at the base.
Old Tony MacGrory (A.P.) has his name scratched at the bottom among others...
I was one of the ones holding the rope years ago .No way was I going down there.No evidence was found of the cave going any further on incidently.

Best of luck!!

Dunc

[4th gen Suthen']

That is SOME zoom lens you have there JD!

Early one still Saturday morning I was running past Killellan Farm and I heard the famous cry of the lost, lonely and weary piper

" I doot I doot I'll ne'rr get oot"