£2.4m donation helps to bring historic mill back into use

Barry Mill, near Carnoustie, will be able to start milling flour again thanks to the gift, one of the largest to the NTS by a living donor, who is a long-time member of the conservation charity.

The donation will help to support the charity’s projects across the North East, including the mill’s restoration, after the donor was inspired by the work of the team there to save the important pre-industrial building for future generations.

The mill in its current form dates to 1814 when it was rebuilt following a fire. It operated as a working mill, however, for over 800 years and was a vital source of food and trade for the local community.

Records show milling activities at the site from the 1600s onwards. It has been brought back to life following restoration work on its mechanical system, as part of a wider 10-year maintenance and repair plan.

The first phase of the repairs, which started in October 2023, was completed by the trust’s building conservation team, complemented by a host of specialist contractors. It included the replacement of the water wheel shaft, repair of the wheel shaft’s bearings, full repair of the water wheel, the ‘teeth’ of the internal gear mechanism and its supporting structure, and replacement of the water buckets, and the mill’s sluice gate.

Iain Hawkins, NTS regional director for the North East, said: “It is fantastic to see the mill back in working order after the completion of the first phase of our 10-year plan to restore it.

“Working on a building of this age presented some complex challenges and it is testament to the hard work of our highly skilled team and the specialist contractors they commissioned that they were able to bring this amazing example of our pre-industrial heritage back to life to share with our visitors. We’re excited to open the doors of Barry Mill to the local community and to visitors to witness the spectacle for themselves and we were really pleased to give them a first glimpse of the mill working again in all its glory at our recent community open day.

“This work wouldn’t have been possible without one of the largest single gifts by a living donor in the National Trust for Scotland’s history, that saw a long-standing member of our charity, who wishes to remain anonymous, donate £2.4 million to support our projects across the North East. Contributions like this allow us to continue our vital conservation work, to care for, protect and share, Scotland’s natural and cultural heritage for everyone to enjoy, now and into the future.”

Barry Mill, which is now one of only a handful of mills powered by water, is thought to be one of the largest and finest examples of its type still in operation. It produced oatmeal and other foods, as well as providing work for local people, until 1982. The National Trust for Scotland started caring for the building in 1990.

Mills were once used for everything from milling grain to producing cloth and gunpowder but went out of fashion when Industrial Revolution ushered in new methods of production.