Page "Burghead" Paragraph 6

The Burghead Well, which lies within the perimeter of the promontory fort, was discovered in 1809.

It consists of a flight of stone steps leading down to a chamber containing a tank fed by springs.

There is a frieze in the upper walls, a pedestal in the southeast corner and a sunken basin in the northwest corner.

The chamber is high, and across with a wide ledge around the edge, and the tank is deep.

The discovery was made during excavations for a possible municipal water supply after an elderly fisherman recalled a tradition of a well in the vicinity.

Various additions such as re-cutting the steps and deepening the tank were undertaken, but the flow of water proved to be insufficient for the proposed new function.

At the time of discovery it was assumed that both the fort and well were of Roman antiquity and it was described as a ' Roman bath '.

Later in the 19th century it was suggested that it was an early Christian baptistery possibly associated with the cult of St Aethan, but its origins remain obscure to this day.

It is almost certainly of Dark Age provenance and clearly had some ceremonial significance.

It is possible that its main purpose was as a water supply for the fort and may suggest a Pictish interest in water spirits.