The Doo Well

Named after the Doos, or pigeons, that frequented the nearby woodland, the spring was widely known for its healing properties. Frequented by Sir Walter Scott as a boy, in 1823 he published a novel titled St Ronan's Well.

The Well is now housed in a pavilion which was constructed by the Earl of Traquair in 1820 for visitors to the spa, and largely rebuilt and extended in 1896 to accommodate indoor bathing facilities and a bottling plant, this latter for the commercial sale of bottled spring water, the first of such in Britain.

There were three separate mineral springs at St Ronan's Wells, (hence the plural in the name), sulphurous and saline. On 16 may 1896 these were analysed by a lecturer in chemistry at Surgeons Hall, comparing the two types for mineral content, resulting in readings of 324.42 and 420.84 grains per gallon respectively, the large difference coming mainly from their sodium chloride content: 186.48 to 247.36 respectively.

The water is freely available on tap; look in large for proof!