Dunino Den, a site of pagan worship which still attracts people looking for fairies

4 min read

Believed by many to be haunted by fairies and other legendary creatures of Celtic folklore, the Dunino Den and its surrounding features definitely create a quaint supernatural atmosphere.
Shaded by woodland and shrouded in mystery, the area was an ancient ceremonial site for Druids who carved mystical symbols into rocks for future generations to discover.
Druidry, or Druidism, was a pagan spiritual practice that is used to bring harmony, reverence, and spiritual connection between humans and the magic of nature.
The first Scottish Druids were men in the 4th and 5th centuries, but later became practiced only by women from the 13th century onward.
When female Druids became known, many people referred to them as fairy worshippers or even witches.
Interestingly, this ties into the theory that the name “Dunino” is from the Gaelic “Dunnigheanach” which means not by chance “Fort of the Young Women” or “Maidens”.
Many reports claim that the Dunino Den is at least 2,000 years old and it remained in use until the 7th century AD when druidism was driven underground by Christian missionaries.

Nestled in the East Neuk of Fife a mere ten minutes away from St Andrews, Scotland’s famous home of Golf, in the woods behind the Dunino church lies the ancient pre-Christian holy site consisting of an altar stone, a well, and an ancient footprint carved into the rock overlooking a small stream.
The church may occupy a site on which a stone circle once stood, and some of them can still be seen incorporated into its fabric.
In other stories the stones came from a circle on the other side of Dunino Den but, in any case, It was quite common for churches to be built on much older pagan sites.
With a heritage that spans druidry, the Picts and even early Christian worship, centuries of history are reflected by the enigmatic carvings that are tucked in every corner of the place.
The well is said to have been used for human sacrifice by ancient druid priests to appease their gods. The blood was said to collect in the pool, and the broken bodies were flung into the burn below, although it is more likely that it was simply revered as a natural wonder perhaps an opposite force to the nearby stone circle.
Here, we find the fabled Altar Stone which has a footprint embedded into it.
It is thought to have been used to crown Pictish Kings. Not by chance, carved footprints were used during inauguration rituals, such as the anointing of earlykings.

Stairs carved into the cliff during a bygone Pagan era lead down into the den proper, which is thought to have been a Pagan place of worship prior to the arrival of Christianity in Scotland, where Celtic crosses and symbols have been carved into the cliff face by worshippers both modern and ancient.
Pagan pilgrims venturing to the site leave offerings of all kinds hanging from the trees and tucked into crevices in the cliffs, from coins to ribbons or even panties, teddies, toys, candles and even an old black and white photo of a couple sandwiched between two sheets of tin for protection.
It is believed that these objects are offered to appease the fairies that lurk here, and those familiar with Scots mythology understand that such spirits can be intensely violent.
Intriguingly, this ties into the lore that describes Druids as direct descendants of fairies.

In addition, a “wishing stone” is located in the cemetery of the Kirk, which dates to the 1800s.
Located along the southern wall, it is a large stone believed to be from the 9th-century, which would make it a very early Christian site, and It has been reported that at one time it was used as a sundial towards the end of the 1600s.
Now, a stack of coins are piled up along with invocations for good fortune.