Detail of water wheel. Digital image of D 3454

Description Detail of water wheel. Digital image of D 3454

Date 14/8/1996

Collection Scottish Farm Buildings Survey

Catalogue Number SC 738370

Category On-line Digital Images

Copy of D 3454

Scope and Content Waterwheel, Backaskaill Steading, Sanday, Orkney Islands The 400-acre farm of Backaskaill on the Orkney island of Sanday was owned by the Earl of Zetland from at least 1793. In 1863 the then earl erected new buildings for his tenants as well as draining the land. In 1874 it was occupied by John Paul and described as 'a first rate farm'. This is a detail of the waterwheel, an overshot wheel (turned by water hitting the floats from above) with its top roughly at ground level and made by James Abernethy & Sons of Aberdeen. It is 3.95m in diameter and 1.09m wide and originally had a geared rim drive. There are six T-section cast iron arms per side plus an iron shaft of 0.09m diameter. This wheel was used until the mid-1950s and is reputed to be the largest waterwheel to power a threshing barn in Orkney. The lade along the side of the threshing barn is 0.97m wide and 0.33m deep and is constructed of concrete. The water supply comes from Loch Aber. Source: RCAHMS contribution to SCRAN.

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/collection/738370

File Format (TIF) Tagged Image File Format bitmap