Constantine's Cave - Balcomie, Fife - UK Historical Markers on Waymarking.com

Constantine's Cave is a north-facing shallow natural cave in a rocky sandstone crag that can be reached on the Fife Coastal Path as it passes along the coastline near the far eastern point of the kingdom at Fife Ness on Crail Golf Course at Balcomie.

King Constantine I was allegedly killed here at Nicha Specus or Black Cave, in a battle with the Dubhgall in 874, although there is some dispute over the location of this battle which might have taken place somewhere else in Fife.

The cave itself is 10 feet wide, with a roof 12 feet high and a depth of 24 feet. Early Christian wall carvings were discovered in archaeological investigations in June 1914 by A.G.B. Wace and Professor Jehu, where crosses and animals were found along with Roman pottery. It is thought that the cave was used as a chapel or hermitage from 800-1000. In 1812 the cave was used as an observation post by the Fifeshire volunteers to deter a French invasion.

A blue metal sign is situated next to the cave's entrance on the coastal path and the text reads as follows:

Constantine's Cave

'According to local tradition King Constantine I was killed in this cave, called Nicha Specus or Black Cave, after a battle with the Dubhgall (dark foreigners or Danes) in 874.

However accounts of Constantine's place and date of death do vary.

In Bowers "Scotichronicon" it is stated that he was the son of Kenneth McAlpin (who united the Kingdoms of the Scots and the Picts in 843) Bower writes:

"The Danes were offered a safe refuge in his lands and the right to buy provisions to their hearts content if they ceased from raids and faithfully observed the agreed terms of peace. So when they could not be pacified by a consideration of this kind or any other consideration involving peace, in the place called the Black Chasm (whether on a pre-arranged date or unexpectedly of accidentally is not known) the King joined battle with them and died with many of his men. It is not surprising since he rashly used certain of the Picts recently subdued to fight alongside him like a snake in his bosom. For they fled immediately battle was joined, so offering anoppertunity for the rest to do the same; and so the King, deserted on the field of battle by a large part of his army, was surrounded and killed by the enemy. They themselves withdrew to their ships immediately after the victory. The Scots who had fled returned and after searching the plain found the dead body of the King who bore it to the Island of Iona with great lamentation. He was buried there in his fathers bosom with full honours."

William F Skene's "Celtic Scotland" quotes the Ulster Annals as giving Constantine's date of death as 876. Following a battle at Dollar the Danes drove the Scots through Fife to Inverdufatha (at the mouth of the black ford of cave), identified as Inverdovat in the parish of Forgan near Kilmany and Newport where he was killed.

Constantine I, of Causantin MacCináeda (in Gaelic, Constantin Son of Kenneth) ruled from 858 to 874 or 876 and was the penultimate to be called the King of the Picts. He was not always successful in battle against the Vikings, but did manage to hold the Pictish lands. His battles prevented the Scandinavians from establishing a base on the east coast of Scotland as they had done on the east coast of Ireland. The first Scottish presence in Strathclyde dates from his reign.

He was given the title Duan Albanach (Song of the Scots) as a tribute to his historic vigour. He was succeeded by his brother Aed Wing-foot.'