The first mention of a mill at this location goes back to 1539. Originally, there were two mills on the Barry Burn, both owned by Balmerino Abbey in Fife: one was an oat mill referred to as the ‘over mill’, and the other was a corn mill known as the ‘nether mill’. The names refer to the mills‘ position relative to each other on the burn that supplied their power. Over, meaning the higher, and nether, meaning the lower mill on the Barry Burn.
In the late 1600s, the nether mill stopped milling, and the building, constructed in 1783, is now used for storage. The over mill, which became known as ‘Barry Mill,’ was destroyed by fire in 1814, leading Thomas Gardyne of Middleton and Barry (a Scottish laird) to build the current structure.
The mill was expanded in the 1930s and produced oatmeal until the late 1970s. Then, it switched to making animal feed until flood damage stopped its operations in 1984. In 1988, the Trust took over the abandoned mill, restoring it to its 1814 condition over the next four years. It reopened in 1992. The stables have been turned into a visitor centre featuring exhibits about the mill’s history and the work of the millers.
In 2009, Historic Environment Scotland designated Barry Mill as a Category A listed building.
