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MHG11948 - Mills - Port an Alltain

Summary

A complex of three mill buildings on the east bank of Allt A'Mhuilleir.

Type and Period (1)

Protected Status

Full Description

Disused clack-mill.
Info from Dr C S Sandeman, Durness 2 March 1959.

A complex of three mill buildings on the E bank of Allt A'Mhuilleir, which survive almost to gable height, though no machinery or mill-stones can be seen. It comprises (extending downstream): (a) A Mill 7m by 3.2m internally, formerly with an external vertical wheel. (b) A mill 3.7m by 2.5m, formerly with an internal horizontal wheel. (c) A simple rectangular building 6.8m by 3.2m.
Visited by OS 28 November 1978.

A rapid coastal zone assessment survey was conducted by GUARD in the Autumn of 1997 commissioned by Historic Scotland from the Viking and Early Settlement Archaeological Research Project based at the University of Glasgow.

As described in the NMRS after site visits by Dr C S Sandeman in 1959 and OS in 1978. This complex is built around a steeply-sloping burn which flows into the loch and is comprised of a vertical mill, a horizontal mill, a cruck-framed cottage and a Ianding-place. The vertical mill is at the highest point of the complex and survives to 2.5 m at the south (wheel end) where it is built of quartzite slabs, but only 1.5 m at the east where the construction is of a rougher, dry-stone type. The horizontal mill is situated down stream of this first mill and is constructed from quartzite slabs and stands to a maximum of 2.5 m. There are slab-roofed apertures for water to enter the underhouse. There is an enigmatic scooped out area to the east of this mill which may have carried an earlier structure. Both of these mills are serviced by the one revetted lade which is cut from the stream higher up and feeds back into it below the horizontal mill. The Iade either flowed underground when it left the lower mill or had been deliberately capped. Below the mills at the coast-edge is a cottage with walls which survives up to 2 m high (north gable) and which has slots for crucks in the east and west walls. There is also an entrance in the west wall. Associated with this site, but not recorded on the NMRS, is a landing-place and small boat-noust. This is situated on the coast immediately in front of the cottage and utilises the space between two natural outcrops which run S-N out into the loch. The opening is 6 m wide and leads on to a small cobble beach from which much of the stone has been cleared. Up-slope at the back of this beach is a U-shaped area 3 in long by 2 m wide which has been dug out of the turf above the HWM. This probably served as a boat-noust. The landing-place was probably the easiest access to this otherwise remote mill complex. The buildings are in a state of total disrepair and are naturally falling down but there seems to be no particular additional threat other than exposure to the elements. <1>

NGR adjusted based on 2009 vertical aerial photographs. <2>

Sources/Archives (2)

Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred NC 4560 6109 (57m by 52m) (2 map features)
Map sheet	NC46SE
Geographical Area	SUTHERLAND
Civil Parish	DURNESS

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