Spring
water from the well, from which the village gets its name, was thought to
cure many diseases. A hospital, established in 1250 by the Red Friars, became
a popular destination for pilgrims including Robert the Bruce who visited
the village in search of a cure for leprosy.
The well was one of several in the area, referred to in old documents as
"Fontes Scotiae" or the "Wells of Scotland" As long
ago as 84 AD, Roman soldiers marching between their camps at Lochore in
Fife and Ardoch in Perthshire may well have stopped to take the waters and
rested there.
The canopy over the well was built in 1858.
South of the village is the Portmoak Airfield, home of the Scottish Gliding
Union.
The famous Poet of Loch Leven, Michael Bruce is buried in the tranquil churchyard
at Portmoak Church.