View from S. The old mill is on the left, and the new mill, built in about 1900, is on the right. Copy of 35 mm colour transparency.
SC 866072
Description View from S. The old mill is on the left, and the new mill, built in about 1900, is on the right. Copy of 35 mm colour transparency.
Date 30/4/1984
Collection Papers of Professor John R Hume, economic and industrial historian, Glasgow, Scotland
Catalogue Number SC 866072
Category On-line Digital Images
Scope and Content John O'Groats Mills, Canisbay, Caithness Corn mills driven by vertical waterwheels were invented by the Romans, and became common in Scotland in the later Middle Ages. Their effectiveness was revolutionised in the late 18th century by the development of iron gearing. In the late 19th century many older mills were re-equipped and enlarged. This view shows the two John O'Groats mills in 1984. The older mill is on the left, and the building on the right was built in about 1900 as a replacement. The waterwheel driving the latter is on the left-hand side, and is fed with water by the lade in the foreground. The mill was working in 1984. Oatmeal mills, like this one, survived in numbers in north and north east Scotland until the 1950s and 60s, when electric power was introduced and when the payment of farm servants partly in meal ended. This was the last working watermill in Caithness and one of the last new watermills in Scotland. Source: RCAHMS contribution to SCRAN.
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Attribution: © HES. Reproduced courtesy of J R Hume
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