Monument record MHG56964 - Sawmill and WWI Naval timber store - Outram Street, Invergordon

A C19 sawmill, taken over during WWI by the Admiralty and used as a timber store.

The site was investigated in 2015 as part of the ARCH project 'Invergordon in World War I'. On the 1st and 2nd edition OS maps, this area is labelled Saw Mill, one of two in the town (the other being near the Station). The chimney stack of an L-shaped building at the east of the area is visible on a number of photos. In WWI the L-shaped building was taken over by the Admiralty, and is labelled 'Timber Store' on a wartime plan in private possession. Another building to the west of this, not depicted on the 2nd edition OS map, is labelled 'Naval Stores Receiving Room' (see MHG56965). Branches of the railway lines go to the north and south of these two buildings. Both buildings appear on a WWI aerial photo and an aerial photo from 1930, though the railway lines had been taken up by 1930. By the time of the 1945 aerial photograph housing had been built on the site. <1>

A postcard from 1904 on the Invergordon Archive (no. 460) provides a good illustration of the L-shaped building with chimney stack.

At least three versions of a WWI Naval plan survive, two in private collection which probably date to wartime, and one in the National Archives (MPI 1/641/4) which dates to 1921. On all three the buildings taken over or built by the Navy are shaded, but there are a few discrepancies between the plans. One of the plans in private collection has enlarged details, but only shows the Admiralty buildings and not others in the town. Valuation Rolls also indicate some buildings not shaded on our plans were taken over by the military. It is clear from contemporary photographs that the army built additional buildings, particularly north of Cromlet Drive. <2>