The Cheese Well, Traquair | Scottish Borders
… travellers will often leave coins or other small tokens of food to placate the fairies.
You will find The Cheese Well and Fairy Well in the hills near Traquair in the Scottish Borders. The Cheese Well is the name of a natural spring that has been an important drinking source for travellers and walkers passing by, but it has a more mystical history.
The Cheese Well got its name from travellers who believed that fairies offered a safe passage if they were to leave a small offering of cheese.
These days it is still traditional, however, travellers will often leave coins or other small tokens of food to placate the fairies. So look closely into the spring and you may see tidbits left from previous travellers!
The Cheese Well is marked by two stones, one of them with the words ”Cheese Well” carved into its face.
To reach the Cheese Well, from Traquair House you follow the Southern Upland Way east for 2.5 miles. The Cheese Well lies on the northern side of Minch Moor (a hill). The trails on Minch Moor are some of the oldest hill paths in Scotland.
The Southern Upland Way is a hike that crosses Scotland from coast to coast, taking you through some very historical areas in the Scottish Borders. It’s a lovely walk for anyone interested in long-distance hiking trails!
Allow around two hours for your walk; you may even want to continue along the Southern Upland Way to see The Three Brethren, three cairns that stand on top of a hill with wonderful views across the Scottish Borders.
Where to find the Cheese Well
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Latitude / Longitude: 55.591675, -3.0219310
