Site Report

WoSASPIN 3164
NR64SE 25 6883 4296.

(NR 688 429) Red Cove is a small cove in the face of a red sandstone rock, in which a great quantity of human bones was found some years before 1869.
Name Book 1869.

'In the recess of a soft freestone rock, not far from the sea, where a farmer was lately preparing to erect a cart shade, and had commenced to level the bottom, he met with a great collection of sea shells, and discovered in the face of the rock several apertures or square holes, crammed with human bones. He immediately desisted from his operations, and left undisturbed the repositories of the dead'.
NSA 1845.

The exact site cannot be located.
RCAHMS 1971.

Red Cove, located at NR 6883 4296, is a shallow cave, 7.0m across and 3.5m deep, situated on the landward edge of a raised beach. Several apertures, formed by water action on faults in the sandstone, occur in the back wall of the cave, but no bones remain in those holes visible, though others may exist beneath the present silted floor level. No sea shells can be seen, and the farmer at Beachmeanach knows of no further finds from the cave. Lack of evidence precludes classification of this site.
The discovery of sea shells (NSA 1845) may indicate occupation, but they could have been deposited naturally before the formation of the raised beach.
Surveyed at 1:10,000.
Visited by OS (N K B) 16 February 1978.