Finzean Bucket Mill

Aberdeenshire

The water powered Finzean Bucket Mill is a unique Grade A listed historic site not only locally but nationally. It was built by Peter Brown in the 1850’s to make wooden buckets, or pails, using timber from the Forest of Birse.

The bucket mill demonstrates part of the deep connection of the community in Finzean to its industrial past in the Forest of Birse, felling trees as part of the community’s inherited rights on the Commonty and working the sawmills and Bucket Mill.

The Bucket Mill has been operated by three generations of the Brown family. The current miller, Stan Moyes, took over the running of the mill in the 1970’s. In 1999, Birse Community Trust became the owner of the mill and Stan Moyes continues in his stewardship role.

The Bucket Mill will not be operating during Doors Open Days, but the skills are very much alive in the miller Stan Moyes, who is semi-retired. He learned how to operate a water-powered mill from David Duncan at the Finzean Sawmill and Turning Mill, a mile east along the river Feugh.

Doors Open Days offers a rare opportunity to access the mill for a guided behind the scenes tour and view first hand all the wheels, belts, and water-powered machinery still in place to this day.

Facilities

• Parking
• Not Accessible