Ah, we do love a good mystery. Especially, when that mystery is right on our doorstep, waiting to be discovered. And let us tell you, this enigmatic creation is just outside of Glasgow, but it’s not the easiest to find. Just half an hour’s drive away in Falkirk between Larbert and Denny lies a mysterious man-made pool with amazingly blue waters called Torwood Blue Pool, and no one really knows where it came from.
Located close to Torwood Castle, Torwood Blue Pool can only be found using navigation, as there are no signposts, and the spot is well-known amongst locals who have been swimming there for decades. However, its notable bright blue water is what mainly attracts visitors to the pool, as well as the man-made brick structure that surrounds it.
There is a gated and well-established path that leads to the blue pool, and the mysterious spot is located next to some high-voltage power lines which is another convenient marker to help find your way.
What is more, no one really knows where the structure came from: the round, brick-layered blue pool is about six meters in diameter and four meters deep and was discovered by a 10-year-old boy in 1961. The boy’s name was Nigel Turnbull, who later vowed to solve the mystery of where the enchanting structure came from, yet died before any theory could get significant validation.
While none of the theories were ever proven, quite a few remain to this day. The most probable theory is that Torwood Blue Pool was built as an air shaft, also known as a dog-leg, of Quarter Colliery and is all that remains of the large structure. Quarter Colliery was shut in 1910, some time after an explosion that killed 13 workers, and has flooded since.
While we might never find out the true origins of Torwood Blue Pool, we can still enjoy its amazingly blue waters and a brisk walk along the countryside.