Fears mounting over future of historic Scots spa

Locals are hoping St Ronan's Wells in the Borders can be future-proofed

Fears are growing that a historic spa and popular tourist attraction in southern Scotland could be lost forever.

The Category-B listed St Ronan's Wells pavilion in the small Borders' town of Innerleithen has been largely closed to the public since the Covid pandemic.

Some are worried that without significant investment to restore the 19th Century landmark - in the region of £200,000 - it could slip into a state beyond repair.

Site managers Live Borders are currently reviewing the council-owned building's condition and any future use of it as a visitor centre.

St Ronan's Wells famous pavilion facade

St Ronan's Wells is cherished in the region for its illustrious history, being championed in the works of famous Scots writers Sir Walter Scott and Robert Burns.

Every July it takes centre stage as part of the "Cleikum Ceremony" during St Ronan's Games week – Scotland’s oldest organised sports meeting.

During the ceremony, a local school pupil is invested as standard bearer to represent the saint, before drinking spring water from the well.

Apart from being open for a handful of days during the festival last year and in 2022, it has remained empty and locked up.

Keith Belleville is a concerned local resident

Previously, St Ronan's Wells was open as a museum annually from April to October, and a caretaker lived on site.

But with the caretaker not being replaced after retiring, and the building remaining shut, a group of locals have come together in the hope of saving its future.

One of those involved, Keith Belleville, said: "It is a serious concern for local people that a real local landmark and beauty spot could fall into a state of disrepair.

“We are really worried with the state of the buildings, which are not being properly maintained by the owners.

"We are raising awareness as we want the wells brought back to its former glory.”

The Wells spring water taps are currently out of use

Live Borders, a charity that delivers the council's culture and leisure services, received a £1.5m bailout by the local authority in December.

Scottish Borders Council’s (SBC) outstanding debt stands at £214m, and there are expected to be further cuts to services.

Ross McGinn, chairman of Innerleithen Community Trust, is worried St Ronan's Wells could be offloaded without any community engagement.

Mr McGinn calls the site “the heart of Innerleithen”, stating “it’s significant in Borders, and even Scottish terms”.

He said: “When the site had a caretaker it used to be immaculate, but it's been left to deteriorate with virtually no investment.

“What’s been done has been minimal, and we’re seeing the building falling apart, the windows are rotting, the roof needs attention and it’s not attractive to visitors.”

Ross McGinn, chairman of Innerleithen Community Trust

The Wells previously had more than 3,000 annual visitors, and despite no records currently being kept, Mr McGinn believes many still come to see the site.

St Ronan's also has geological significance, with three springs of three different types of water running from the base of nearby summit Lee Pen just a few feet apart from each other.

After Sir Walter Scott used it as a setting for a novel in 1823, the Earl of Traquair built the pavilion and tanks so visitors could “take the waters in comfort”.

While the buildings sit empty, its gardens are thriving thanks to a weekly volunteer group co-ordinated by Jan Cameron.

Jan Cameron runs weekly volunteer sessions to look after St Ronan's Wells gardens

Mrs Cameron is worried the building's condition will affect how much local people enjoy the gardens.

She said: “We have a wonderful hill garden, with the iconic building on one side with its roofscapes, and it’s surrounded by a mature woodland so it’s a little oasis.

“It’s a calm beautiful spot with a magic to it, full of beautiful flowers and interesting things that we’ve worked hard to create.

"Our worry is the state of the house impacts the gardens.”

Mrs Cameron would like to see either the National Trust for Scotland (NTS) or Historical Environment Scotland (HES) become involved in its future.

St Ronan's Wells is seen by locals as "a little oasis"

Alasdair Niven travels from Edinburgh to volunteer in the gardens because “it’s such a fantastic place, an invaluable haven”.

He feels it would be better to spend £200,000 on the building now rather than wait and see costs rise.

Operators Live Borders said: "As part of the ongoing joint transformation programme, St Ronan’s Wells is being reviewed as to building condition and current use as a visitor centre.”

It confirmed that plans were being discussed to reopen the site briefly to coincide with the St Ronan’s Games festival, which starts on 4 July.

Live Borders stated it was “not in a position to have constructive dialogue” with either NTS or HES until SBC conducted a building condition survey.

Alasdair Niven is one the site's regular volunteers