Record-breaking donation brings Barry Mill back to life
The generous gift was made by a long-time member of our conservation charity. He donated an incredible £2.4 million to support our charity’s projects across the North East, including the restoration of Barry Mill, after being inspired by the work of the team there to save this pre-industrial building for future generations.
The mill in its current form dates back to 1814, when it was rebuilt following a fire. It operated as a working mill for over 800 years and was a vital source of both food and trade for the local community. Historical records show milling activities at the site from the 1600s onwards. It has been brought back to life following restoration work on the mill’s mechanical system, part of a wider 10-year maintenance and repair plan.
The first phase of the repairs, which started in October 2023, was completed by our building conservation team, complemented by a host of specialist contractors. This included the replacement of the water wheel shaft, repair of the wheel shaft’s bearings, and full repair of the water wheel and the ‘teeth’ of the internal gear mechanism and its supporting structure. It also saw the replacement of the water buckets and the mill’s sluice gate.
Iain Hawkins, Regional Director for the North East, said: ‘It is fantastic to see the mill back in working order after the completion of the first phase of our 10-year plan to restore it.
‘Working on a building of this age presented some complex challenges, and it is testament to the hard work of our highly skilled team and the specialist contractors they commissioned that they were able to bring this amazing example of our pre-industrial heritage back to life to share with our visitors.’
Iain continued: ‘This work wouldn’t have been possible without one of the largest single gifts by a living donor in the National Trust for Scotland’s history, which saw a long-standing member of our charity, who wishes to remain anonymous, donate £2.4 million to support our projects across the North East. Contributions like this allow us to continue our vital conservation work, to care for, protect and share Scotland’s natural and cultural heritage for everyone to enjoy, now and into the future.’
Barry Mill is now one of only a handful of mills powered by water, and is thought to be one of the largest and finest examples of its type still in operation. Mills were once used for milling grain and even producing cloth and gunpowder, but went out of fashion following the Industrial Revolution, which ushered in new methods of production. This water mill produced oatmeal and other foods, as well as provided work for local people, until 1982; it then came into the care of the Trust in 1990.
New for 2025, special milling tours are now available on Fridays – at 11am, midday and 2pm – lasting approximately an hour. Our milling team will engage the original French burr millstones and mill the grain. The wheel and machinery will also run on every day that the mill is open. There’s no need to pre-book; the team look forward to welcoming you.
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