Pitkeathly Wells

A historical perspective, drawn from the Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland: A Survey of Scottish Topography, Statistical, Biographical and Historical, edited by Francis H. Groome and originally published in parts by Thomas C. Jack, Grange Publishing Works, Edinburgh between 1882 and 1885.

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Pitcaithly, a place, with mineral wells, in Dunbarny parish, Perthshire, amid pleasant scenery, 1 mile SW of Bridge of Earn, and 4½ miles S of Perth. The wells have been known for their medicinal properties from time immemorial, but were not scientifically noticed till 1772. Five in number, they bear the name of the East, the West, the Spout, the Dunbarny, and the Southpark, and have all the same properties, differing from one another only in the quantity or proportions of their saline ingredients. They are esteemed useful in scrofulous, herpetic, and scorbutic complaints, and in cases of dyspepsia and general debility. A gallon of the water of one of them, according to analysis by Professor Thomson of Glasgow, contains 155 28 grains of chloride of calcium, 90.12 grains of common salt, 3.44 grains of chloride of magnesium, and 12.13 grains of sulphate of lime; while a gallon of another contains 168.58 grains of chloride of calcium, 117.84 grains of common salt, 4.16 grains of chloride of magnesium, and 25.92 grains of sulphate of lime. A large lodging-house, for the accommodation of visitors, stands beside the wells; but Bridge of Earn is the favourite lodging place of visitors, and is daily supplied with water from the wells for their use.—Ord. Sur., sh. 48, 1868.

An accompanying 19th C. Ordnance Survey map is available, or use the map tab to the right of this page.

Note: This text has been made available using a process of scanning and optical character recognition. Despite manual checking, some typographical errors may remain. Please remember this description dates from the 1880s; names may have changed, administrative divisions will certainly be different and there are known to be occasional errors of fact in the original text, which we have not corrected because we wish to maintain its integrity. This information is provided subject to our standard disclaimer

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