Tucked into cliffs, forests, riverbanks and rocky islands, hermitages across the UK offer a glimpse into centuries of solitude. Originally built as sacred spaces for hermits and monks seeking isolation, these structures have served many purposes over time – from poetic tributes and romantic legends to architectural follies and places of pilgrimage.
Whether carved into sandstone or perched above dramatic waterfalls, each hermitage tells a different story. Here are some of the most fascinating hermitages to visit around the UK.
Best hermitages to visit in the UK
Black Linn Falls, Dunkeld
On the banks of the River Braan in Perthshire (just down the road from Perth) sits an 18th-century hermitage, created by the Dukes of Atholl who lived in the nearby Dunkeld House – which was sadly demolished in the 19th century. The hermitage was built to honour the Gaelic poet Ossian, who features as a figure in Irish mythology. The natural woodland here was considered part of Dunkeld House’s extended garden.
Nearby, you’ll find a folly known as Ossian’s Hall of Mirrors, built in 1757 and decorated with mirrors, sliding panels and paintings. From here, you can look out over the dramatic Black Linn Falls, and visit the stone bridge over the gorge, built by the third Duke of Atholl in 1774.
Once you've visited the hermitage, head to the nearby pub The Taybank for one of the best outdoor pub gardens and best pub Sunday roasts in the UK.
We included the River Braan walk in our round-up of the best walks in Scotland.
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Warkworth Castle and Hermitage
Warkworth Castle by the Northumberland coast is home to a riverside crag carved out of the cliff rock, which has been hollowed out like a cave and ornately designed. This hermitage is believed to have been constructed around 1400AD, built into the sandstone banks of the River Coquet. Inside, it has a chapel-like appearance, with both the main section and a smaller chamber featuring an altar. In the main chapel, there is an altar-tomb with a female effigy.
The origins of the hermitage aren’t confirmed, although it is believed to have been occupied by clergymen in the 15th and 16th centuries. To access the hermitage, you’ll need to hop on a ferry just upstream from the castle, organised by English Heritage.
Tollymore Forest Park, County Down
Tollymore Forest Park was established in 1955 as the first state forest park in Northern Ireland, but the woodland was established many centuries earlier. The hermitage was designed in the 1770s by James Hamilton, the second Earl of Clanbrassil, in memory of his friend, John Montagu, Marquess of Monthermer. The Greek inscription within the hermitage translates as “Clanbrassil, to his very dear friend Monthermer 1770”. It is built into the side of the gorge of the river, used for shelter while others fished for salmon in the Shimna River. It is now part of one of the best walks in Northern Ireland.
St Ninian’s Cave, Dumfries and Galloway
St Ninian’s Cave in Physgill Glen, Whithorn, features in the climax scene of the 1973 horror film, The Wickerman. But its historic roots are just as interesting – and go back a long way, believed to have once been the site of Roman Catholic pilgrimage. The nearby monastery, Whithorn Priory, was considered to be Scotland’s “cradle of Christianity”. The hermitage’s name comes from its association with the Scottish saint Ninian, who supposedly used the seaside cave as a hideaway. Whithorn is said to have been founded by St Ninian in the fifth or sixth century, making it one of the earliest Christian sites in Scotland.
10 crosses have been carved into the cave wall, while 18 early Christian carved stones were also discovered here. It’s also a good spot to see grey seals, bottlenose and common dolphins, and minke whales.
St Michael’s Chapel on Roche Rock, Cornwall
The outcrop of Roche Rock looms large on the landscape near St Austell. The rock itself was formed millions of years ago, but the chapel is thought to have begun life as a hermitage when a leper was forced to live on the rock. Another legend tells the story of lovers Tristan and Isolde, who hid from King Mark by seeking refuge in the chapel at Roche.
Hermitage, Stowe
The Stowe house, garden and estate have much to offer, with a rich history charting the successes and downfalls of its owners. The Buckinghamshire estate's fifth owner Richard Temple, Viscount Cobham, was responsible for employing garden designer Charles Bridgeman and architect Sir John Vanbrugh to transform the garden. In 1730, architect William Kent designed the hermitage at Stowe as a tranquil spot to invite visitors to enjoy the garden. Unlike Kent’s other temples, the hermitage is made of roughly cut stone with a dilapidated turret – but this was intentional. This garden folly was deliberately built as a ruin.
Farne Islands, Northumberland
On your way through the Farne Islands to Lindisfarne, you’ll see a tiny island (Inner Farne). It’s here that the Anglo-Saxon monk Cuthbert lived in a hermitage before becoming Prior on Lindisfarne in the seventh century. He returned to Inner Farne later in life, dying there in 687. He introduced special laws to protect the seabirds nesting on these islands, which are thought to be among the earliest bird-protection laws anywhere in the world – and are still obeyed today. The earliest recorded inhabitants of the Farne Islands were monks and hermits, with the last known hermit dying on the islands in 1246: Thomas De Melsonby.
While the structures built by monks Aidan and Cuthbert on Inner Farne are no longer visible, there is now a chapel on the island – believed to have been built in the 14th century and significantly renovated in the 19th century.
Did you know? The Farne Islands are some of the best islands to visit in the UK.
St Herbert’s Island, Derwent Water
While very little is known about Herbert, the seventh-century priest and hermit, his presence is still felt on the island in the middle of the Cumbrian lake. Writers such as Beatrix Potter and William Wordsworth have taken inspiration from Herbert and his island. Wordsworth actually explored his friendship with St Cuthbert of Northumberland (former inhabitant of the Farne Islands) in his poem, For the spot where the hermitage stood on St Herbert’s Island. There are four islands in Derwent Water, with St Herbert’s being the largest, spanning four and five acres.
