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Balbirnie Mill
Grain Mill (Period Unassigned), Watermill (19th Century)
Site Name Balbirnie Mill
Classification Grain Mill (Period Unassigned), Watermill (19th Century)
Alternative Name(s) Balbirnie Estate
Canmore ID 87659
Site Number NO65NW 67
NGR NO 63204 58485
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/87659
- Council Angus
- Parish Brechin
- Former Region Tayside
- Former District Angus
- Former County Angus
NO65NW 67 63204 58485
(Location cited as NO 632 585). Balbirnie Mill, built c. 1855. A large three-storey rubble building with double kilns, with pyramidal roofs and circular ventilators. There is a 15ft (4.57m) diameter low-breast wheel. Open to visitors.
J R Hume 1977.
Photographed in November 2003 prior to the removal of internal machinery.
Information from RCAHMS (MKO), November 2003
The Object Name Book of the Ordnance Survey (ONB) describes the mill as 'A large flour and corn mill together with a farmhouse and large steading in the occupation of Mr Henderson of Kincraig. It is on the Estate of Southesk and the property of the Right Honorable the Earl of Southesk'.
'In reply to a remark on description of Balbirnie Mill the examiner states that it ought to be "flour", being the principal trade of the mill' The Name Book also states that Mr Charles Lyall Esq. was the factor and that the mill was under tack rent receipt (Name Book 1861-63)
By the date of the 2nd edition (1903) and the Revision edition (1924) the mill was annotated as 'Corn'. The mill lade serving this mill also supplied power to Arrat's Mill (NO65NW 45.00).
Information from RCAHMS (DE), January 2008
NO65NW 67 63204 58485
This is a large, three-storeyed rubble (pink sandstone) water-powered grain mill, with two adjacent drying kilns, each with pyramidal roofs and circular venitilators, and a parallel granary block. All the roofing is of slate. The lade system powered a 4.57m (15 feet) diameter low breast-shot water wheel with cast-iron hub and rim with 8 wooden arms and 32 buckets. Disused at the time of visit, the mill was undergoing conversion into a dwelling. Hume suggests the mill was built c.1855.
Viited by RCAHMS (MKO), 13 October 1997.
J R Hume 1977
Field Visit (1861 - 1863)
The Object Name Book of the Ordnance Survey (ONB) describes the mill as 'A large flour and corn mill together with a farmhouse and large steading in the occupation of Mr Henderson of Kincraig. It is on the Estate of Southesk and the property of the Right Honorable the Earl of Southesk'.
'In reply to a remark on description of Balbirnie Mill the examiner states that it ought to be "flour", being the principal trade of the mill' The Name Book also states that Mr Charles Lyall Esq. was the factor and that the mill was under tack rent receipt (Name Book 1861-63)
Field Visit (1974)
(Location cited as NO 632 585). Balbirnie Mill, built c. 1855. A large three-storey rubble building with double kilns, with pyramidal roofs and circular ventilators. There is a 15ft (4.57m) diameter low-breast wheel. Open to visitors.
J R Hume 1977.
Photographic Survey (11 November 2003)
Photographed in November 2003 prior to the removal of internal machinery.
Publication Account (2013)
a) On the same lade taken from the South Esk: Balbirnie Mill spun flax in 1825 and 1837, then became a flour mill and recently was a restaurant (not open at present). Some internal machinery (large revolving drums did the job of a kiln) was removed in 2003. A 4.57m (15 feet) diameter low breast-shot water wheel with cast-iron hub and rim has 8 wooden arms and 32 buckets. Double kiln with twin witches hats cowls. Immediately to the east is Arrat’s Mill, a two-storey flax spinning mill that switched to flour milling in 1849.
b) Farnell Mill South of these on the Pow Burn was rebuilt in 1850, (dated) and has a later threshing mill extension to N. The kiln has a circular cowl
vane in the shape of a pig. The internal braced wood and iron overshot wheel, 4ft (1.22m) wide by 15ft (4.57m) diameter is disused (electric power was used when mill was operational in the 1970s).
M Watson, 2013
