A shiver runs down my spine as I wander into Dunino Den.
It could just be my hangover kicking in – it’s the morning after a fairly boozy Christmas night out, and I’m not feeling too clever.
And yet there’s something a wee bit ‘Blair Witch Project’ about the enigmatic Fife site.
Is it wrong of me to admit it gives me the creeps?
The Den, long considered to be a place of pagan worship, is steeped in myth and legend.
There are stories galore of it being inhabited by fairies, acting as a place where sacred rites were conducted, and there’s even a tale – hopefully untrue – about a well above the site being used by druids for human sacrifice.
Heck, Dunino Den has even been described as a ‘Gateway to the Otherworld’.
It easily fits into the category of ‘strange’ places to visit, and, despite being slightly freaked out by the strange atmosphere, I do recommend checking it out.
Where is Dunino Den?
The Den is about five miles from St Andrews, and fairly easy to find.
I parked up at Dunino Church, which boasts its very own moss-covered ‘wishing stone’ in the adjoining cemetery.
Visitors leave coins on top as offerings to various gods, and to bring good fortune.
There’s little to signify the presence of the Den itself, but I find a path leading from the church into secluded woodland and soon gaze down into a gorge through which the Kinaldy Burn flows.
There’s an impressive rock formation – a sort of natural platform – overlooking the Den. This is the fabled Altar Stone, which has a footprint embedded in it.
It’s believed that Pictish Kings were crowned on the stone – and carved footprints were used during inauguration rituals, such as the anointing of kings.
What happened at the Altar Stone?
There’s also a well, or pool, cut into the Altar Stone.
And it’s on this stone that some sources claim druids carried out human sacrifices, with the pool filling up with their blood.
One example, found on the Graveyards of Scotland website, states: “Here the Druidical priest cleaned his naked feet before he sacrificed humans to now unknown Gods.
“The blood would have been collected; the bodies thrown into the burn below.”
Let’s hope this never actually happened!
Local folklore warns to be careful what you wish and dream for while standing next to the well and footprint. You never know – it might come true…
Mind your step as you descend
My head is swimming with wild, crazy and horrific thoughts as I gingerly make my way down a flight of roughly-hewn steps into the Den below, passing a Celtic knot pattern carved into the stone walls.
Further along, I spot a bigger but less well-defined carving depicting a wheel-headed cross, and hundreds, if not thousands, of coins wedged into cracks.
Down in the Den, which is rather like a natural amphitheatre, moss clings from rocks and trees, and everything appears to be damp and in the shade.
It’s a gloomy winter’s day, and this only serves to enhance the strange, otherworldly, almost supernatural atmosphere.
The only thing that breaks the eerie silence is the trickle of the burn – no birds chirp, trill or tweet.
I stand and simply gaze around me for a while, taking in all in.
What is there to see at Dunino Den?
Offerings of ribbons, feathers, shells, beads, buttons, dreamcatchers, and jewellery have been left hanging from trees.
A tree stump, which sits forlornly in the middle of the site, is covered in rotting flowers and sticks.
I also discover a couple of Buddha’s head ornaments, an old dog collar, and messages carved into trees, left on scraps of paper, and etched onto slates.
So who left these offerings, and why did they do so?
There could be many reasons, but some believe they are left to appease the fairies that live here.
Such spirits can be intensely violent – certainly in Scots mythology – so they’re perhaps worth keeping on side!
Those who see the Den as a ‘gateway to the otherworld’ perhaps leave gifts as tokens of remembrance for loved ones who have passed away.
It’s said to be bad luck if you remove any of the money from the Den – so don’t be tempted!
Can you find the carved bearded face?
After a few minutes of gazing around, I find what I’ve been looking for – a carving of a man’s bearded face.
I’d seen this on social media and been desperate to view it with my own eyes. It doesn’t disappoint.
He’s a rather sinister looking fellow and I’m left wondering: who is he? Who carved him? And when? Answers on a postcard, or in our comments section please.
As I leave this magical, enchanting spot, I realise I’ve got nothing to leave as an offering. Hmmm. Might a malevolent fairy come after me if I fail to do so?
Be mindful when you visit
I reason that actually, it would be worse to contribute to the amount of ‘tat’ dumped here, and instead, pick up a stick and leave it in a rock crevice.
There’s a real worry that the Den could so easily be ruined by visitors leaving random stuff lying around.
Sure, some might believe they’re appeasing the fairies by leaving a cheap plastic toy, ribbon, old dog lead or whatever as an offering, but the truth is, such items blight the natural environment.
They could also pose a danger to animals who might come along and either choke to death when they try to eat them, or become entangled and injured.
It’s definitely worth considering.
That aside, Dunino Den is a fantastic spot – just keep your wits about you because the terrain can be potentially treacherous in poor weather conditions.
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