Community to get first look at John O’Groats Mill transformation
The new-look John O’Groats Mill is almost ready to be revealed – and members of the local community will be the first to get a glimpse inside.
The historic complex is being brought back into use as a heritage attraction and community venue in a £4.9 million transformation led by John O’Groats Mill Trust.
Two community events are scheduled for this Saturday, with an official opening the following weekend.
The mill is around a mile from John O’Groats village on the North Coast 500 route and it is set to become an important new tourism site, encouraging visitors to stay longer in the area.
The first event in the refurbished mill will involve family fun from 11am to 2pm with colouring-in and a screening of short films made by local children.
Adults and youngsters alike will also be able to see the interior of the mill and be the first to use the newly built extension.
In the evening a party for those aged 16 and over will have food, a bar and music from 7pm onwards. Both events are free, but spaces need to be booked via links on the John O’Groats Mill Trust Facebook page due to limited capacity.
The events mark the end of a long-term project to bring the mill back into a sustainable use.
The last element of the work will be the installation of interpretive panels telling the story of the mill and explaining how the machinery works. These will be installed in time for the official opening day of Saturday, May 31.
From that date, the mill will be open as a heritage visitor attraction six days a week.
Mill trust chairman Rognvald Brown said: “It is very fitting that the very first events to be held in our mill will welcome the community back inside to take a look round the building and celebrate their own heritage.
“Both events on Saturday should be full of fun and give people a chance to see inside the mill in advance of its opening to the public at the end of the month.”
John O’Groats Mill Trust was formed in 2017 and began the task of raising funds to restore the mill as a social, educational and cultural centre.
In 2023, a contract worth just under £3.2 million was awarded to O’Brien Construction, allowing work to progress on repairing and extending the mill. The aim was to use natural materials and traditional methods wherever possible.
The mill was in operation until around 2001 when Magnus Houston last worked it. In 2020 the mill keys were presented to the trust by Sina Houston, ending the Houston family connection going back some 270 years through six generations.
Since then the trust has been working with a design team of architects and engineers to develop its plans.
A coastal path linking the mill with the village harbour was officially opened in 2021.
It is believed to be the last water-powered grain mill in Scotland.
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