Mill of Glenbuchat, Glenbuchat

Compact, single storey and attic, 3-bay, rectangular-plan, meal mill with early (18th century) example of small rectangular-plan attached kiln on higher ground to E, and remains of metal wheel of circa 1900 at W gable, on ground falling sharply to W, forming small group with barn and 19th century house. Random and coursed, snecked rubble with ashlar wheel gable at W.

Still part of the North Glenbuchat Estate, this rare small mill group, incorporating an early example of an integral kiln, was worked by both the father and grandfather of the current (2006) tenant. Gauldie notes that an ´innovation at end of the eighteenth century was the greatly improved kiln situated within the mill. Oats had always required careful drying to make it milleable. Jones (Water Powered Corn Mills) uses the existence of a kiln as one of the features distinguishing the 'upland´ mills, where oats were ground, from 'lowland´ wheat grinding mills´ (p157).

At one time there were three meal mills and 2 waulkmills in the glen, but by about 1900 there was just this one meal mill, which closed in 1927. John Hume includes the following description of the mill wheel and kiln ´a 6-spoke wood and iron start and awe wheel, 28 inches wide by 12 feet diameter which drove a single pair of stones. The kiln funnel is wooden, lined with clay´. (Historic Environment Scotland List Entry)

June 1993: Historic Scotland describes the mill as disused and gutted since 1927. It is now partly ruinous. September 2000: The property is visited by the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland. The mill and barn/stable range are currently used for storage. The adjacent mill cottage is occupied and not at risk. January 2004: Local planners report no change. March 2005: SCT understands that the mill lies within an agricultural tenancy and so is unlikely to be available for purchase. October 2006: Owners report no significant change to record.

January 2008: External inspection finds the buildings, although roofed, in a very poor condition. The buildings are at a critical stage needing repairs to the roof and masonry to keep it wind and water tight.

August 2010: External inspection finds no significant change from the last site visit. The building continues to deteriorate.

7 August 2013: External inspection finds the building remains in much the same condition as seen previously - tree growths are beginning to obscure the main building.

12 June 2018: The new owners of the former mill advise, following acquiring the site in 2017, they have been undertaken a number of works to halt deterioration of the building fabric. Vegetation has been removed where it has been damaging the structure, temporary roof repairs have recently been undertaken with further planned over summer, and doors have been repaired to ensure security. In the longer term the new owners wish to restoring the mill back to a working condition as a community project.