Forestry Memories

Bobbin Mill at Cambus of May

Bobbin Mill at Cambus of May

Date Added: 25 November 2019 Contributor: Norman Davidson Year of Photo: 1910 Picture No: 4575

Image is courtesy of Alastair Cassie of Ballater and is of a Bobbin Mill around the early 1900s located in Cambus of May.

This is an extensive complex of buildings dominated by the factory chimney and fire as the heat source to drive a steam engine. The actual saw mill that carried out the first conversions of the birch logs may well be the building on this side of the chimney which has two sloped weather covers hinting at large openings in the wall to admit logs onto the saw benches.

Any more details and information would be very welcome.

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Groups: Northeast Scotland , Sawmills, pulp mills, chipboard mills

2 Comments

Aye Norman, this bobbin mill appears to be still standing (2019) and undeveloped at Turnerhall, just south of the A93, within the grounds of the Cambus o'May Cheese Company.

The Ordnance Survey, Six Inch, 1888 - 1915 series map (National Library of Scotland website) has the mill, lade and mill ponds mapped, but the house to the right, rear of the image appears to be a more recent addition. Bobbin mill NGR NO405979, 340593, 797938. Or, 57degrees 04' 08"N, 2degrees 58' 53"W

The lade to the mill appears to run NW and connects with the Culsten Burn, flowing between Crannach Hill and Culblean Hill. The flow from this burn can be further supplemented by the water held in two mill ponds to the NE and connected too and fed by the Queel Burn, flowing from the southern slope of Culblean Hill.

Bill
Comment left on 25 November 2019 at 17:36 by Bill Rayner
Some more information about the Cambus O'May Bobbin Mill is available at: https://online.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/smrpub/master/detail.aspx?refno=NO49NW0030

Unfortunately (despite my best efforts) my full report about the bobbin mill is not available online. However, my book, Bobbin Mills in the North of Scotland, which includes the report, is available from Amazon, if you are interested.
Comment left on 09 December 2019 at 20:42 by Joanna Gilliatt
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