15/05/2026
The Beltane Well
Hidden quietly within the woodland beyond Kenmore lies an old sacred well whose story still lingers beneath moss, quartz stones, and running water.
From the village on the north side of the River Tay, cross the bridge and take the small road towards Dull. The road follows the woodland edge for nearly a mile and a half until you reach Drummond Cottage on the left. Across from the cottage, a rough dirt track leads into the trees. About one hundred yards along, an overgrown path runs down the slope to a small stream where several natural springs rise from the ground. One of these springs is surrounded by bright white quartz stones. This is the ancient holy well once marked on early maps as An Tobar, meaning simply “the well.”
Although the name sounds ordinary, the history surrounding the well is anything but simple.
Above the well, through the trees and fields, there once stood an ancient church that has now almost completely disappeared. Near this church an old gathering known as Feill nam Ban Naohm, or the Fair of the Holy Women, was once held. The fair was connected to a group of women believed to have lived and worshipped there many centuries ago. Some historians connected them to the legendary Nine Maidens whose sacred wells, trees, and holy places can still be found across Scotland.
In 1575 the fair was moved into Kenmore, and only a few years later the church itself was relocated onto Eilean nam Ban Naomh on Loch Tay. Over time the woodland reclaimed the old site, but the well remained.
For generations local people continued to visit the spring, especially on the morning of Bealtainn, the first day of May, when the waters were believed to hold special significance. In 1938, historian William Gillies wrote that large numbers of people still gathered there during the previous century. Even after many traditions faded, people quietly continued to leave offerings beside the water.
When the well was cleaned in 1914, several objects were discovered beneath the mud and stones. These included old copper coins, pins, buttons, a glass bead, a carved stone marked with a rough Saint Andrew’s Cross, and a small hand-shaped stone cup. Small traces left behind by people seeking healing, protection, comfort, or connection.
Today the well remains hidden and overgrown, almost as if it does not wish to be easily found. Large quartz stones still circle the spring, catching light beneath the trees. A narrow stone path leads towards the nearby burn, and small fish can still be seen moving through the clear water like quiet guardians of the place.
I first visited the well with my cousin and his wife. I expected a peaceful woodland walk, but the place carried something much deeper. The air smelled of damp earth, moss, river water, and old woodland. Everything felt still. The sound of flowing water softened the silence around us.
Standing beside the spring, I placed a small offering of wildflowers into the water. As the flowers drifted gently across the surface, something about the moment felt strangely alive. The quartz stones surrounding the well seemed to gather light around the flowers, and for a brief moment there was a feeling of quiet vibration in the air, something difficult to explain but impossible to ignore.
Perhaps that is why places like this survive through centuries of change.
Not because of buildings or written history, but because certain places continue to offer people a sense of reflection, peace, and mystery long after the old stories have faded. Hidden in the woods beyond Kenmore, the holy well still waits quietly beneath the trees, where history, folklore, and the natural world continue to meet.
Written by Bridge of Allan Counselling with historical research supported through Google. Photographs by Rhonda Peebles.
