Carfin Grotto

Carfin Grotto, officially known as the Motherwell Diocesan Lourdes Grotto, is a Catholic shrine located in Carfin, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes and serves as a place of pilgrimage and prayer for Catholics in Scotland and beyond.

The grotto was the vision of Canon John Taylor, parish priest of St. Francis Xavier's, Carfin, who sought to create a replica of the grotto at Lourdes in France. Construction began in the early 1920s, primarily using volunteer labor from the local mining community. Materials such as rough stones and pebbles were used to create the cave-like structure, replicating the natural appearance of the Lourdes grotto.

The Carfin Grotto comprises several features, including a replica of the grotto where Bernadette Soubirous is said to have seen apparitions of the Virgin Mary. There are also statues of Bernadette and the Virgin Mary, as well as representations of the Stations of the Cross, the Rosary, and other devotional elements. A central altar allows for the celebration of Mass and other religious services.

Over the years, the grotto has expanded to include various gardens, prayer areas, and a tea room for visitors. It attracts thousands of pilgrims annually, particularly during the Marian feasts and throughout the summer months. It remains an important center of Catholic spirituality and devotion in Scotland.