OS1/13/102/66

Continued entries/extra info

[Page] 66

Lady Buchan's Cave
"A cave nearly fronting the ruinous castle of the Archbishops of St Andrews bears the name of this religious person (St Regulus). It is difficult of access and the rock in which it is hewn is washed by the German ocean. It is nearly round about 10 feet in diameter and the same in height. On one side is a sort of Stone altar on the other an aperture into an inner den where the ascetic who inhabited this dwelling probably slept. At full tide egress and regress are hardly practicable. As Regulus first colonized the metropolitan see of Scotland and converted the inhabitants in the vicinity he has some reason to complain that the ancient name of Kilrule (Cella Regulis) should have been superseded even in favour of the Tutelary Saint of Scotland. The reason of the change was that St Regulus is said to have brought to Scotland the relics of St Andrews.
The Saint doubtless was so selfish as to wish to derogate from the honour of the Apostle but the former has not been forgotten for to this day the tower above mentioned (St Regulus's Tower) bears his name. As to the cave it is commonly known as "Lady Buchan's Cave" from the circumstance of that lady's having occasionally used it for a very different purpose to what the recluse devoted it namely for entertaining her friends at tea when she resided here some eighty years ago with her two sons, the late Lord Chancellor Erskine and his brother". Lyon's Hist [History] of St Andrews vol. [volume] 1 pp [pages] 21, 22
Particular inquiry has been made concerning St Regulus's Cave and it has been ascertained that it has been long since washed away by the encroachment of the sea. Therefore the above statement by Mr Lyons is incorrect this error the author has acknowledged to C.A. McDiarmid when making enquiry concerning the cave. Lady Buchan's Cave is therefore of modern construction St Regulus's Cave in all likelihood was situated very near the present Low Water

Transcriber's notes

Continuation of Description for "Lady Buchan's Cave" Page 69.