Old travel Blog photograph of the Wishing Well in the Wellmeadow, a park in Blairgowrie, Perthshire, Scotland. The Celtic peoples considered springs and wells sacred places. Sometimes the places were marked with wooden statues possibly of the god associated with the pool. Water was seen to have healing powers, and wells became popular, with many people drinking the water, bathing in it or just simply wishing over it. Some people believed that the guardians or dwellers of the well would grant them their wish if they paid a price. After uttering the wish, one would generally drop coins in the well. That wish would then be granted by the guardian or dweller, based upon how the coin would land at the bottom of the well. If the coin landed heads up, the guardian of the well would grant the wish, but the wish of a tails up coin would be ignored. It was thus potentially lucky to throw coins in the well, but it depended on how they landed.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
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