The 'significant' yet hidden Scottish cave where an important saint once lived

Have you ever heard of this "historically significant" yet hidden cave where the patron saint who helped bring Christianity to Scotland once stayed and worshipped?

St Columba's Cave in Argyll and Bute is nestled within a beautiful landscape near the edge of Loch Caolisport and has, for a long time, been considered an "important landmark" for early Christianity in Scotland.

The cave was once used in the 6th century by an Irish missionary going by the name of St Columba.

See the 'historically significant' cave where the famous St Columba once lived and worshipped

St Columba's Cave is home to some of the earliest Christian carvings in Scotland (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto) He is thought to have used this as a place of retreat and worship in around 563, with it being home to some of the earliest Christian carvings in the whole of Scotland, according to Atlas Obscura.

Today, the cave consists of a main chamber and a smaller adjoining chamber.

This main chamber features a striking carved cross and other "incised" markings on its walls.

In addition to the carvings, a stone altar and a water basin are also present and were likely used for baptismal purposes.

For those planning to travel or make a pilgrimage here, there is parking close by at the shore of the loch.

The location is a rather underrated pilgrimage site (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto) The location has also been commended on Tripadvisor, where a small number of users gave the site a 3.7/5.

This visitor said: "We were holidaying at Port Ban for Easter Weekend and a number of the locals were heading to St Columbia’s Cave on Good Friday for an ecumenical get together and service to observe Good Friday.

"We hitched a lift and tagged along. It was a unique experience, in a beautiful setting looking out to the loch as the sun set and dusk set in."

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Describing the cave and the structures inside it, one person wrote: "This is the cave St. Columba visited on his way to Iona.

"There is a dry stone altar, and below it is a stone basin. There are also other shapes carved into the walls of the cave, which show habitation in the past.

"Also makes for a lovely walk along the single track road and great views of the Loch."

However, a third person warned that the area can become very muddy, especially during or after rainy conditions.