Dounby Click Mill, Historic watermill in Mainland, Orkney Islands, Scotland
Dounby Click Mill is a watermill on Mainland Orkney Islands featuring stone walls, flagstone roofing, and a wheel structure containing two rows of twelve paddle blades for grain grinding. The building uses a horizontal water wheel that drives the millstones directly without intermediate gearing.
The mill was built around 1825 and stands as the final operational horizontal mill in Orkney. It received scheduled monument status from Historic Environment Scotland in 1994.
The mill demonstrates traditional Scottish agricultural methods through its direct-drive mechanism, where millstones mount directly above the wheel on the same shaft. This design shows visitors the practical solutions millers developed to process grain efficiently.
The mill stands about 500 meters east-southeast of Eastabist in Dounby and can be reached on foot. Visitors should prepare for changing weather conditions and bring suitable clothing along with sturdy footwear.
After quarrying activities in the 1920s damaged its original water source, the mill required engineering modifications to maintain operations. A piped water system was installed to ensure a reliable supply to keep the machinery running.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
