Wallace's Well

Just before the junction between Lumloch Road and Langmuirhead Road in north Glasgow, an ancient well marks the location where Sir William Wallace would often stop to quench his thirst. It’s also believed to be where he took his final drink before being captured. 

Wallace was the Guardian of Scotland and a significant player in the Wars of Scottish Independence. He was an enormous thorn in the side of King Edward I of England during his attempts to conquer Scotland. 

Wallace was on his way to visit the Bishop of Glasgow and took lodging at a nearby farmhouse. Unfortunately, he was betrayed by the Earl of Menteith and captured by the English. He was then taken to London on charges of treason. He was then brutally executed on August 23, 1305, by being hanged, drawn, and quartered. 

A Celtic cross memorial was constructed on the site of the farmhouse in his honor and is still visible today. The well was not treated so reverentially. In 1993, Historic Scotland de-listed the well’s protected property status due to a “change in criteria.”

The Society of William Wallace lobbied at several meetings of the Glasgow City Council over the well’s future. A renewed interest in the well began in 1995 following the release of the film Braveheart. The movie likely saved it from destruction. Restoration on Wallace’s Well began in June 2011.