Strange as it seems, the Balm Well has waters said to heal. It also goes by St. Katherine’s Well. Some call it the Oily Well. That last name best describes this natural spring.
Along the surface floats a black tar. It looks unpleasant. This is actually oil. It links to the Pentland Fault. The oil shale below feeds it into the Balm Well.
The Balm Well sits in Liberton. Liberton sounds like Leper Town. Centuries ago, there was a leper colony here. The well became known for its curative powers. People used it to treat leprosy. They also treated other skin ailments.
The water’s properties drew peasants. It also captivated royals. King James IV of Scotland visited often. Dignitaries came from Denmark and Pomerania too. King James VI had a stone well house built in the 16th century. Oliver Cromwell’s army demolished it in 1650.
What you see now is a 19th-century version. But the Balm Well still has a portal dated 1563. The Liberton area may have housed a leper colony. People sought cures from the Balm Well. King James IV ordered a well-house built for public access.
The current structure is not King James IV’s original. Cromwell’s army destroyed that. Visitors now see a reconstruction of the King’s well-house. The name Oily Well comes from oil in the water. This gives it a dark look. The oil comes from shale rock. The spring water passes through it.
The Balm Well’s water was thought to cure eczema and leprosy. Some think Liberton means Leper Town. Lepers may have lived here during the Scottish Middle Ages. They were confined and barred from Edinburgh.
The Balm Well saw locals seeking relief. Travelers also came seeking cures. King James IV visited in the 17th century. He had the well-house built. Today, the Balm Well is on the grounds of a restaurant. The spring is now shut off. You can still eat on the terrace. Imagine those who visited long ago.
The Balm Well is linked to St. Catherine of Alexandria. A healing oil flows at her shrine in Sinai. A phial came to St. Margaret of Scotland. A drop spilled creating the oily balm. This balm was good for skin problems. It eased pain from sprains and burns. The tar still floats. A tide-mark shows where the tarry water flowed. The well-house smells of tar.
James VI ordered the well-house and steps built in 1617. This made access easier. Cromwell’s army destroyed it once. The well-house remains with a stepped approach. The lintel has a shield, saltire cross, letters “A P,” and the date 1563.
The balm treated skin conditions well. It helped “the itch” that is scabies. This was common in dirty conditions with poor food. Treatments included tar ointments. Bathing in healing springs also helped. The Balm Well water was effective for injuries too. A 17th-century expert thought it could treat asthma and hysteria if taken internally.
The Balm Well stayed popular until the late 1700s. Interest waned in the 1800s. Locals still valued the balm for skin issues. Antiquarians also took interest. In 1910, Dr. G. A. Fothergill described the well’s healing powers. He said the well is now balm only to antiquaries and curious visitors. Some still valued its healing waters.
The Balm Well now stands as a testament to times gone by.