Hartfell Spa
Moffat, Scotland, September 28, 2017
Hartfell Spa is a natural spring located in the hills of the Scottish Borders near Moffat. The spring is reputed to have healing properties due to its high mineral content. Nearby, an overhanging outcrop of rock forms a natural cavelike shelter. An interesting theory speculates that this secluded location with natural spring and cavern was once the refuge and hermitage of none other than the historical Merlin of Arthurian fame.
Whether the actual Merlin made this place his home or not, its hidden location deep in a narrow valley makes it a place of natural meditation, as the long walk to it winds though stretches of steep moorland and rough pasture, past ancient ringforts, crosses streams, and finally arrives at what seems a fortress of solitude, surrounded by high valley walls, rocky outcrops, and stony rubble. But a gentle stream runs down through it, and if you sit beneath one of the stone outcrops for a little while, surrounded by those high walls with just a narrow window of sky above, it is easy to forget there is a world beyond it. Maybe Merlin was onto something…
