GILMERTON COVE MYSTERYGilmerton Cove is a mysterious cave system on the outskirts of Edinburgh, Scotland. It is considered the work of a blacksmith named George Paterson. According to ancient records, this person used this place between 1724 and 1737.
But there is one thing people are wondering: A cave with such a unique structure is difficult for even someone with many years of experience like George Paterson to dig on his own. Therefore, it is considered a mysterious cave that currently no one can explain.
Gilmerton Caves. (Photo: The Times)
George Paterson claimed it only took him 5 years to excavate this cave. But, no matter how hard-working a person is, it will still take a lifetime to create such a cave. Some people believe that he was just the person who found and cleaned up the mess in the cave that had been there for a long time.
However, when people later discovered this cave, they were surprised by the scene inside: It was so beautiful and attractive that many people believed that George Paterson owned ‘priceless underground treasure’.
Gilmerton Cove Cave has many passages and many underground areas hand-carved from sandstone. The stones are believed to have been taken from a nearby mining village. Initially, light in the cave was projected from holes to the outside, but it has long been sealed.
Through the caves is a main corridor 12 meters long with two entrances with heights ranging from 1.6 – 3 meters. The cave opened in August 2003 after 5 years of restoration. Local managers have used this cave system as a place to display exquisite photos and artifacts.
There are many rumors about the cave’s origin, but researchers still cannot explain the mysteries in its design and usage. Up to now, they have only learned that Gilmerton Cove was created by blacksmith George Paterson in the 18th century. But, they have not confirmed that this man is really the owner of this place?
WHO IS THE REAL OWNER OF GILMERTON COVE?
There is a theory that this is a refuge for smugglers or a gathering place for the Knights Templar (an army established with the purpose of protecting Christian pilgrims). Or, this is a hiding place of some mysterious group of people that no one knows about.
Cave entrance. (Photo: Flickr)
In addition, there is an explanation for Paterson’s appearance at this cave as follows: Everything began to emerge after he was accused of providing alcohol on the Sabbath. This possibility is entirely possible because of the scent emanating from the cave, making ancient people believe that Paterson used this place as a place to distill alcohol.
It was in 1725 that the Government imposed a huge excise tax on whiskey, which increased the illegal production of alcohol. Most likely, this is the reason Paterson decided to create, or remodel this cave into a “secret” pub.
This hypothesis was proven in 2017 by scientists from the University of St Andrews and the University of Edinburgh. They used ground-penetrating radar and found that the network of passages and chambers in Gilmerton Cove may be more extensive than they previously thought.
The scale of this cave ranges from the shape to the texture of the walls, all of which are carved from rocks with vivid carvings. But what’s even more surprising is the interior furniture including tables and benches beautifully crafted from solid sandstone. On the walls are traces of holes that have been filled. This means that the rooms were integrated with a ventilation system from above and also provided light for the entire cave.
Researchers have described this cave as “the strange home of the Flintstones family remodeled by a designer from Milan in the 20th century.”
