The Last Spa

Officially known as the Gadle Braes Well, this spring first came to prominence in 1820 as the other town wells started to decline in quality and volume, and the town’s status as a spa town was in decline. In 1824, in an attempt to recover Peterhead’s reputation as one of the most prominent placed in Europe to take the waters, the Community of Feuars contributed £5.00 towards the cost of the well house we see today.

Sadly, their investment was misplaced, and wealthy patrons continued to drift away to newer, more fashionable resorts.

Fishing became the new life-blood of commerce in Peterhead. Open ground between Gadle Braes and the nearby settlement of Buchanhaven became a place where fishing nets could be cleaned and repaired. In the 1930’s, the need for housing saw the development of new housing.