The 'magnificent' 800-year-old Scottish mill running again thanks to £2.4m donation

A historic mill is producing flour for the first time in 40 years after restoration work was made possible by a £2.4 million donation from a mystery donor.

The water-powered Barry Mill in Angus operated as a mill for almost 800 years until 1982.

National Trust for Scotland

It is now milling flour again after restoration work on the mechanical system was completed.

The work was made possible thanks to the support of a long-time member of the National Trust for Scotland (NTS), which was inspired by the work the team at Barry Mill were doing to save the pre-industrial building for future generations.

He donated £2.4m to support the charity’s projects across the north-east of Scotland, including the restoration of Barry Mill, which was rebuilt in its current form in 1814 following a fire.

The charity said it was one of the largest single gifts by a living donor in the history of NTS.

The mill has been described as a “magnificent example of the country’s industrial heritage” by tourism body Visit Angus.

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 ten-year plan to restore it.

“The first phase has seen important parts of the mill’s internal mechanics restored, such as the installation of a new water wheel shaft, repairs to its bearings and replacement of the water wheel’s ‘teeth’ and its water buckets to enable the water-powered mill to be fully operational once again.

“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.”

Mr Hawkins added: “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 £2.4m 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.”

The first phase of the repairs, which started in October 2023, was recently completed by the trust’s building conservation team, along with various specialist contractors.

NTS started caring for the mill in 1990 and more restoration work is planned there this year. Visitors to the site can see the mill in action at demonstrations on Fridays.