Craigpot, Sawmill And Electricity Generator
Saw Mill (Period Unassigned)
Site Name Craigpot, Sawmill And Electricity Generator
Classification Saw Mill (Period Unassigned)
Alternative Name(s) River Don; Craigpot Cottage; Castle Forbes, Electricity Generator; Castle Forbes Policies
Canmore ID 151364
Site Number NJ61NW 41
NGR NJ 6270 1874
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/151364
- Council Aberdeenshire
- Parish Keig
- Former Region Grampian
- Former District Gordon
- Former County Aberdeenshire
NJ61NW 41 6270 1874
For Castle Forbes (NJ 62148 19130) and associated buildings, see NJ61NW 11.00.
Nothing is now visible of the water-powered sawmill that is depicted on the 1st edition of the OS 6-inch map (Aberdeenshire, 1870, sheet liii) about 60m W of Craigpot Cottage (NJ61NW 78). The building appears to have been removed before the end of the 19th century (OS 6-inch map, Aberdeenshire, 2nd edition, 1901, sheet liii.SW), but its site was re-used in the 1920s or 1930s when a water-powered generator was installed to provide electricity to Castle Forbes (NJ61NW 11.00), some 650m to the NW.
All that survives of this generator, which re-used the lade of the old sawmill, is a concrete chamber, which contains a U-shaped turbine-shaft through which water is still flowing from SW to NE. A sluice on the NW side of the lade to the SW of the turbine shaft still retains much of its timber gate, although the mechanism for raising and lowering it has gone. Slots on either side of the lade between the sluice and the mouth of the shaft indicate the position of another sluice gate or a grill to prevent unwanted objects entering the turbine. The turbine-chamber is presently surmounted by a timber fishing bothy.
Visited by RCAHMS (JRS), 9 November 2000.
