This rocky hole is a popular excursion for hundereds of Deeside tourists. It was formed by scouring melt-water after the last Ice Age. In folklore, it is associated with the famous Rob Roy Macgregor but was actually the lair of a different 17th-century outlaw and freebooter, Patrick Gilroy Macgregor.

Around 16 000 years ago, the area surrounding Burn O'Vat was covered by a glacial ice sheet. As the area warmed around 14 000 years ago, the ice sheet began to melt, resulting in a torrent of meltwater that carried with it debris previously caught up in the glacial ice. This debris, is possible the main cause of the formation f the burn o vat as it eroded the area over time, creating what is known as a pothole.