Building record MHG43885 - High Mills, Glen Aldie

NH77NE 11 7757 7974 and 7759 7973

Two two-storey buildings set one above the other on a hillside, the tailwater of the upper mill being used as the headwater of the other. Both retain the six-spoke iron frame of their overshot waterwheels.
J R Hume 1977

Depicted on the 1st edition OS map as "High Mills (Corn)" <1>. The 2nd edition OS map records the buildings as "High Mills (Woollen)" <2>. The exact date the mill changed between the two industries is not known, but will be between 1881 and 1904. The 1st edition OS map depicts a large mill pond to the NW of the mill buildings and annotates several sluices and a mill dam. The lade is clearly depicted running past the SW gable walls which housed the water wheel of both mill buildings. The 2nd edition OS map also shows the pond and lade, although it appears as though it now by-passes the upper mill, perhaps suggesting that the upper mill had at this time fallen out of use. The mills are annotated as disused on the 5th edition 25" OS map c.1975 <3>. The lower mill is currently in a reasonable state of repair with all windows borded. The roof appears to be in good condition. The iron water wheel (without buckets) survives intact and is still fixed to the building on the SW gable. The upper mill is in a very poor state of repair with only a small part of the roof surviving. It has clearly been derelict for some time. No doors or window lights survive although the iron waterwheel (without buckets) does survive intact on the SW gable. Internally previous floor levels, stairs and opening for mill machinery are still clearly discernable. The RCAHMS Canmore record (see Associated Files for link) includes three photographs of the mill buildings from 1974. The lower mill does not look to be much changed but the upper mill had its roof intact and a wooden lean-to attached to it's south-east elevation at this time. A planning application has been received to rennovate both buildings to form a residential dwelling <4>. Site visit 06/01/2009 in which both buildings were photographed <5>.