Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Puglia Italy - Matera
Italy • 8 days, 7 nights
Southern Italy: Castles, Caves & Coastal Treasures in Puglia
from
Turkmenistan Gates of Hell Darvaza crater
Turkmenistan • 10 days, 9 nights
Turkmenistan & the Gates of Hell
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Pinal Airpark
Note the chrysanthemum crests.
Hachiman Bridge
Clarendon War Memorial.
Clarendon War Memorial
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Chefs Aruss Lerlerstkull and Atcharaporn Kiatthanawat lean into regional traditions.
Charmgang
The khao soi at Gedhawa comes with a rich, coconutty broth.
Gedhawa
At Nai Mong Hoi Thod, the oyster omelet is worth waiting for.
Nai Mong Hoi Thod
In this deceptively simple dish, top-quality ingredients are paramount.
Kor Panich
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Haleakalā National Park’s summit region, shrouded in the pre-dawn fog.
Beware the Legends Behind These National Park Souvenirs
3 days ago
For Aguilar-Carrasco, nature is a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness of all life.
How Can National Parks Be Made Accessible to All? AO Wants to Know.
4 days ago
Podcast: Finding ‘The Great Gatsby’ in Louisville
5 days ago
Here’s which treats you can safely lug home without risking a fine.
Dear Atlas: What International Food Can I Legally Bring Into the U.S.?
6 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United Kingdom Scotland Gateside Bunnet Stane

Bunnet Stane

This unusual rock looks like a giant, otherworldly mushroom sprouting atop a cave.

Gateside, Scotland

Added By
Fred Bobardo
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Bunnet Stane.   freddybob / Atlas Obscura User
Bunnet Stane.   freddybob / Atlas Obscura User
  conlyn55 / Atlas Obscura User
  conlyn55 / Atlas Obscura User
  conlyn55 / Atlas Obscura User
  conlyn55 / Atlas Obscura User
Maiden’s Bower.   freddybob / Atlas Obscura User
Bunnet Stane.   freddybob / Atlas Obscura User
Bunnet Stane.   freddybob / Atlas Obscura User
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
  ssm67alba / Atlas Obscura User
Inside the Maiden’s Cave   katielou106 / Atlas Obscura User
  conlyn55 / Atlas Obscura User
More features of the rock   katielou106 / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

A strange rock formation pokes skyward within a Scottish park. It looks like some sort of massive mushroom that has been magically turned into stone.

The Bunnet Stane (or Bonnet Stone) is a distinctively shaped rock outcrop in Fife, Scotland. The stone is about 20 feet long, 10 feet wide, and just over three feet thick.

The stone's appearance as a strangely balancing rock has led to intriguing theories about its origins. Legends claim the rock served as a Pictish king's tombstone or a Druid altar. However, the rock's warped look is actually just the result of natural erosion.

Beneath the Bunnet Stane, carved into the rock, is a human-made cave known as the Maiden's Bower. It supposedly takes its name from a romantic story in which a young woman, after seeing her lover ambushed and killed near the rock, chose to live there for the rest of her life. However, more likely explanations are that the cave was the first excavation (the "maiden bore") of a 19th-century geological survey, or that it was created as a bothy for shepherds.

Related Tags

Geology Geological Oddities Rocks Caves Ecosystems

Know Before You Go

There is a small carpark on the road to the north of the stone. From there, follow the path along the edge of the fields towards the stone. It can be muddy, so wear appropriate boots.

Atlas Obscura Adventures

Flavors of Scotland: Beyond the Haggis

Smoked seafood, single malt whisky, and warm hospitality.

Book Now

Community Contributors

Added By

freddybob

Edited By

katielou106, Collector of Experiences, conlyn55, ssm67alba

  • katielou106
  • Collector of Experiences
  • conlyn55
  • ssm67alba

Published

February 20, 2019

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Bunnet Stane
Unnamed Road
Gateside, Scotland, KY14 7RR
United Kingdom
56.249314, -3.308998
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Jimmy Shand Statue

Auchtermuchty, Scotland

miles away

Abernethy Round Tower

Abernethy, Scotland

miles away

Concrete Hippos of Glenrothes

Glenrothes, Scotland

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Scotland

Scotland

United Kingdom

Places 734
Stories 49

Nearby Places

Jimmy Shand Statue

Auchtermuchty, Scotland

miles away

Abernethy Round Tower

Abernethy, Scotland

miles away

Concrete Hippos of Glenrothes

Glenrothes, Scotland

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Scotland

Scotland

United Kingdom

Places 734
Stories 49

Related Places

  • Caves

    Tamajón, Spain

    Enchanted City of Tamajón

    Whimsical sculptures and caves chiseled by nature over the millennia.

  • Nature’s flying buttresses, lined up as far as the eye can see

    Ribadeo, Spain

    Playa de las Catedrales

    Natural stone arches form a walkable "cathedral" at low tide, then disappear entirely when the water returns.

  • Cave of the Mounds

    Blue Mounds, Wisconsin

    Cave of the Mounds

    This cave holds a surprisingly colorful variety of geological oddities.

  • Lake Powell, Utah

    Cathedral in the Desert

    The damming of the Colorado River buried an iconic geologic formation before record-breaking drought brought it back.

  • Looking Glass Rock seen from the Looking Glass Rock Overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway

    Brevard, North Carolina

    Looking Glass Rock

    This granite rock face is named for the magnificent reflection that occurs when the sun hits it just right.

  • The entrance to the Devil’s Well

    Caprarola, Italy

    Pozzo del Diavolo (Devil's Well)

    Was this cave created by Hercules's wrath, the devil, or volcanic activity?

  • Mine, Japan

    Akiyoshido Cave

    Approximately 300 million years ago, a massive coral reef existed in what is now the largest limestone cave in Japan.

  • Cave of Maltravieso

    Cáceres, Spain

    Cave of Maltravieso

    A neighborhood park in the city of Cáceres hides what some believe are revolutionary examples of Neanderthal cave art.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.