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Natural Monuments

St Margaret's Well

Natural Monuments

St Margaret's Well

Highlight • Historical Site

St Margaret's Well

Recommended by 70 hikers out of 80

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Location: Old Town, Edinburgh, Lothian, Scotland, United Kingdom

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Best Hikes to St Margaret's Well

4.6

(135)

1,526

hikers

1. Palace of Holyroodhouse – St. Anthony's Chapel Ruins loop from Edinburgh Waverley

7.55km

02:29

290m

Intermediate hike. Good fitness required. Mostly accessible paths. Sure-footedness required.

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Intermediate

4.9

(40)

667

hikers

2. Palace of Holyroodhouse – St. Anthony's Chapel Ruins loop from Abbeyhill

6.66km

02:05

210m

Intermediate hike. Good fitness required. Mostly accessible paths. Sure-footedness required.

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Intermediate

4.8

(79)

538

hikers

3. Arthur's Seat – View of Edinburgh loop from Edinburgh Waverley

8.23km

02:44

290m

Intermediate hike. Good fitness required. Mostly accessible paths. Sure-footedness required.

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Intermediate

Tips

Bumble-Bee

May 8, 2023

The well dates from the late mediaeval period and consists of a vaulted-chamber with water delivered through a spout emanating from the mouth of a grotesque mask. It is thought to have been modelled on St Triduana's Well in nearby Restalrig, which was close to the original site of the well. The well originally lay at Jock's Lodge. Its was moved stone-by-stone in 1859 to allow the St. Margaret's Workshops to be extended for the North British Railway Company. The workshops have subsequently been replaced by St. Margaret's House, a government office, but the site of the well is marked by a monument in the form of a boulder.

(scottish-places.info/features/featurefirst7839.html)

Matt Charnley

April 26, 2023

St Margaret's holy well was once a place of pilgrimage due to its medicinal waters originally located in Restalrig area of Edinburgh next to the present day East Coast Mainline. The well's site was due to be partly built over by the North British Railway's St Margaret's railway works in 1859/60 and due to its historical significance it was carefully dismantled and moved stone by stone to its present location by the Society of Antiquaries Scotland.

Marisa

August 10, 2025

a restored and relocated holy well with fascinating history

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Details

Informations

Elevation 90 m

Weather

Saturday 25 October

9°C

5°C

0 %

If you start your activity now...

Max wind speed: 20.0 km/h

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See hikes here

Take Me There

Location: Old Town, Edinburgh, Lothian, Scotland, United Kingdom

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St Margaret's Well

1. Palace of Holyroodhouse – St. Anthony's Chapel Ruins loop from Edinburgh Waverley

2. Palace of Holyroodhouse – St. Anthony's Chapel Ruins loop from Abbeyhill

3. Arthur's Seat – View of Edinburgh loop from Edinburgh Waverley

Other Popular Places to Check Out

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