Golspie Mill hasn’t changed much since it was built in 1863 as a meal mill. After a period of neglect, in the 1990s the three-storey building was restored to working order and it is now one of the few traditional water-powered mills still in production in Scotland. Every morning the miller, Michael Shaw, a Kiwi, nips up to the millpond fed by the Big Burn which runs down Dunrobin Glen and winds up the plug to channel the water down the lade (sluice) to hit the paddles at the top of the mill wheel, kicking it into motion so that it can power the mechanical cogs, the hoisting apparatus and the grinding stones. On the second floor of the mill, Michael controls the power by a lever connected to a wooden door (flap hatch) which regulates the amount of water that flows over the wheel as it only gives him three hours of grinding power before the water is used up and the millpond has to fill again – this can take all night – before he goes downstairs to pack the flour. This traditional grinding method was originally used to grind oats and bere, but Michael grinds wheat flour, rye flour, spelt and peasemeal, using the water-powered system, and sells oatmeal ground to spec out with the mill.
