Corn mill dating back to 1700s returns to operation

A corn mill dating back to the 1700s is back in operation after essential conservation work.

The site at New Abbey, near Dumfries - which is managed by Historic Environment Scotland (HES) - is considered a "time capsule of the miller's craft" and looks exactly as it did when the last workers left in the 1940s.

Extensive renovation work to the mill and its ponds has recently been completed allowing visitors to see first hand how it once functioned.

Monument manager Carolann Harrop said they were "incredibly excited" to let people experience the "remarkable piece of history" once again.

The whitewashed stone mill, by the Pow Burn in New Abbey, was built at the end of the 1700s.

However, a mill may have been there as early as the late 1200s when Sweetheart Abbey was founded in the village.

Despite its name, the site was used mainly to mill oats - both for human consumption and for animal feed

Thomas Millar was the first recorded miller, in 1825.

The last miller, John Clingan, closed his ledgers and stopped the waterwheel soon after World War Two and the building is now run as a visitor attraction.

Harrop said there was plenty to enjoy at the site and around its "beautiful grounds".

She added: "It's a fantastic day out for all the family and an excellent way to see Scottish agricultural history brought to life."