St Queran’s Well, Islesteps / Troqueer
Cargen, Islesteps DG2 8ET

Pilgrim visits are few and far between at St Queran’s curious little well, the most obvious sign of devotion these days the rag clothes tied to trees as ‘clouties’
Highlights
- Holy well of St Queran
St Queran’s healing well is famed for curing women and children. ‘Famed’ is a relative term: there is no queue of pilgrims lining up to take the waters blessed by this 9th-century saint. But the well still brims with clear water – a serene setting beneath twisted tree trunks.
It was once a popular place to visit on Sunday afternoons. A local landowner found hundreds of coins at the bottom of the well in the 19th century, some up to 300 years old. A few rag clouties are tied to the trees today in the hope of a magical cure. The water collects in a round, stone chamber. A carved metal grille lies a few inches below the surface, preventing anyone from falling or climbing in. The grille has been creatively fashioned to depict a medieval saint gazing serenely up from the dark waters.
The remains of a hermit’s cell have been identified to the south of the spring. St Queran was a local saint, originally from Ireland, remembered on 9 September – the date of his death in 876. His name appears in a multitude of variants, including St Jergan.
Directions
Carruchan Beeches, Cargen, Islesteps DG2 8ET
W3W: look.land.baths GPS: 55.0371N 3.6286W path
W3W: character.flukes.input GPS: 55.0342N 3.6343W well (approximate location)
The footpath starts on a narrow lane, called Carruchan Beeches on maps, that runs between the A711 and the A710. It is a turning on the left as you drive west out of Cargenbridge on the A711, 1/3
Amenities
Key facts

Britain’s Pilgrim Places
This listing is an extract from Britain’s Pilgrim Places, written by Nick Mayhew-Smith and Guy Hayward and featuring hundreds of similar spiritually charged sites and landscapes from across Britain.
Proceeds from sale of the book directly support the British Pilgrimage Trust, a non-profit UK charity. Thank you.
Location
Nearby routes
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Tom Jones
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Tom Jones
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