We visited the Knockando Woolmill last weekend on a bright and sunny afternoon when the colours were fairly "zinging". There's been a mill here since 1784; the present buildings have been renovated and the mill is now manufacturing fine designer tweeds and wool using machinery from the 1870's.
Water power is still utilised via a restored wheel fed by water piped from the nearby stream, though the waterwheel was originally augmented by a paraffin engine and now by electric power.
The restoration of the site has been sympathetic and has recreated a piece of industrial history along with a restored wool dealers shop and workers cottage. There's a small tearoom and a stylish shop as well as a small interpretative display with a film. Knockando Woolmill isn't a swish "visitor experience" or sterile museum; it's a working, living business and all the better for that. Off the beaten track (again, a good thing I think) it's well worth seeking out, but check opening times as the visitor facilities shut for much of the winter.
In the surrounding trees, autumn's glory is beginning; Sycamores glowing in rich shades of plum and amber.
Some of these colours are actually reflected in the tweeds the mill produces, a true representation of place
Above us, green and gold against a stunningly blue sky - truly autumn can be the most dazzling of seasons.
Looks an interesting place. Paraffin is a blast from the past as my Dad had a heater he loved as an old faithful piece of equipment in his hut and the smell of it was part of the winter months during my school days every time he was in there pottering about.
ReplyDeleteOne of those smells isn't it Bob? Remarkable how a smell can evoke a memory though it hasn't been experinced for many years
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