Upper Well, Pananich Hotel

The Upper and Lower Well Heads, dating to circa 1770, are a pair of red granite ashlar well heads. The upper well head has a pediment containing a recess and a rectangular basin, now covered with metal. The lower well head features a crow-stepped pediment, a rectangular basin also covered with metal, and is flanked by a long granite bench that extends towards the Pananich Hotel.

These simple well heads were the original reason for the construction of the surrounding buildings, including a lodge and hotel (listed separately), which were built around the Pannanich spring. The spring was believed to possess miraculous curative properties. This belief originated in the mid-18th century, when, according to the Monaltrie Papers and The Old Statistical Account, an elderly local resident experienced relief from neck sores after bathing in the spring. Subsequent analysis confirmed some beneficial properties in the water. Francis Farquharson of Monaltrie developed the site with the addition of a pump room and other facilities, attracting numerous visitors who overwhelmed the local ferry service and prompted the need for a new bridge. As noted by Sedgwisk, without the development of this “Spa” at Pannanich and the subsequent influx of visitors, the town of Ballater would not have developed as it did. The popularity of the site led to the construction of the associated lodge and hotel in the later 18th century.