Mill which featured in Outlander grinds grain again

A mill which featured in the TV series Outlander is able to grind grain for the first time in 30 years following major conservation work.

Visitors to Preston Mill in East Lothian will be able to see milling demonstrations again following a series of works which included restoration of the French Burr quartz millstones.

The current mill structure at the site in East Linton was built in the 18th century however there are indications that there may have been a mill there as far back as the 13th century, National Trust for Scotland (NTS) said.

Preston Mill is familiar to fans out Outlander as it featured in series one when it was transformed into the mill on the Fraser estate of Lallybroch, which main character Jamie Fraser, played by Sam Heughan, repairs while visiting his family home.

The mill came into the care of NTS in 1950 and was operated commercially until 1959 but has not been in a state to grind grain for several decades.

NTS said the catalyst for the work was a “generous donor” whose initial support made it possible for the project to progress.

Stuart Maxwell, regional director of Edinburgh and East at NTS, said: “We know that mills like this one were at the hearts of their communities and at Preston Mill, we tell the story of rural life in East Lothian in the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries.

“Keeping aging machinery like this running takes a lot of time and effort but the revival of milling at Preston Mill is a powerful example of how donor generosity, public funding, and member support come together to protect Scotland’s heritage.

“With continued investment, these places can keep telling their stories for centuries to come.”

There will be milling demonstrations for National Mills Weekend on May 9 and 10 and it is hoped that there will be regular such demonstrations in the coming months.

The mill, which is made of local volcanic stone, is renowned for the way it leans, which is to due subsidence of the kiln building that is now supported by external stone buttresses.

The current waterwheel, powered by the River Tyne, was installed in 1909.

In addition to the lead donor, much of the conservation work was made possible by the Historic Environment Scotland Partnership Fund Grant.

This is an ongoing partnership that enables the charity to carry out vital work as well as supporting the continuation of traditional crafts and skills.

Fraser MacDonald, NTS visitor services supervisor at Preston Mill and Phantassie Doocot, said: “Much of the machinery in our mill has been continuously operational and visitors have been able to see our waterwheel turning and many of our drive belts and gears working, but our French Burr millstones have not been in a state to actually grind grain for quite some time.

“Last year was the 75th anniversary of Preston Mill coming into the care of the Trust and it coincided with a lot of necessary maintenance.

“Fortunately, we were also able to take this opportunity to address our millstones as well as our other ongoing conservation efforts.

“The team at Dorothea Restorations surveyed the required work and carried out the restorations, which included dismantling the stones’ furniture, containers called tuns and hoppers to feed the grain into the stones.

“They dressed the faces of the stones and cleaned, adjusted, and greased the neck and foot bearings before lifting and turning over the runner stone to place it back over its bedstone, and finally refitting everything into place.

“The French Burr the millstones are made from is a type of freshwater quartz that is highly prized for milling.

“Our stones had been separated since the 1990s and were worn completely flat, but the dressing restoration has allowed them to be put back together for milling once again.”

NTS has been awarded £1,484,845 from Historic Environment Scotland’s Partnership Fund Grant over 2023-27.