Saw and bobbin mill — Contin
This second image from the Rose family has been submitted by Alasdair Cameron shows what could be members of the Rose family outside a small building which could be an office for the sawmill. The cement pointing gives the impression of a relatively new build with double front doors and possibly a letter box. Some logs can just be seen on the left side (birch?) and there is a high wooden fence just behind the house. Note that although the fixings are present no roof guttering has been installed.
The group may represent the Rose parents and two sons. The elder gentleman and young man are shown in the previous group photograph (No 3201) but not the lady and the younger boy.
Very little information is known about this building or the extent of the Rose family operations at this time (1913 is only a guess). Alasdair goes on to say:
‘Obviously a large operation and they also ran a bobbin mill in part of the building. They roughed out the bobbins, mostly birch that were seasoned and went on to be finished in Dundee, ready for the textile industry.
I have been unable to find any of descendents that have any knowledge of the sawmilling operations. The location is on the main road going west from Strathpeffer and was on two known sites which may have been used at different periods. The big shed (previous picture) is believed to have been near the present Achilty Hotel slightly further west and across the river Blackwater. There was a water powered meal mill in Contin on the river bank at an earlier period but nothing to suggest it was used as a sawmill, although the last Rose sawmill was very close to the site’.
Alastair would welcome any information on this building, the saw and bobbin mills and the extent of the milling activities of the Rose family in Contin and elsewhere. Perhaps someone can date the photograph from the style of clothes? Is that a bobbin in the window on the right? (See large picture - click on little button on bottom right of picture)
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Groups: Groups of people, Sawmills, pulp mills, chipboard mills