Location in Boswell's time
During the 17th century Moffat began to grow from a small village into a popular spa town. The sulphurous waters of Moffat Spa were believed to have healing properties.
The location today
The town today is well preserved and many remnants of the 19th century spa town remains.
Association with Boswell
Boswell stayed for weeks at Moffat at various times of his life, including once in his teens and also after his return from his "grand tour" of Europe in 1766 "to wash off a few scurvy spots which the warmer climates of Europe had brought out on my skin", as he put it in a letter to his friend William Temple (letter of May 17, 1766, printed in Boswell in Search of a Wife).