Perth & Kinross Heritage Trust - Lower City Mills

Ian Clark was commissioned to produce a preliminary consultative document based on a specific project requirement to carry out a visual survey of the waterwheel and associated machinery at Lower City Mill, West Street, Perth. 

The purpose of the preliminary report was to help further inform the project management plan and future maintenance/repair and interpretation strategy being appraised for the long-term preservation of the mill together with site specific observations and contributing factors

Lower City Mills is a category A listed complex of historic industrial buildings sited in West Street, Perth.

The original architectural scheme included an upper mill, a flour mill, and oatmill mill, a granary and offices.

The water supply was via the town lade supplied by the River Almond.

The upper Mill survives and has been converted for adaptive reuse as the Ramada Perth Hotel and the granary is now residential flats. The other buildings have been demolished.

An early map reference of 1783 depicts a mill on the site and records confirm that the mill was used for grinding corn and barley.

Following a fire in 1803 the complex of buildings were rebuilt in 1803 & 1808.

Subsequently the mill was used to grind oatmill and finally ceased commercial production in 1953.

In 1982 under the control of Perth & Kinross District Council a study was commissioned to explore the potential for the mill and machinery to be restored to working condition with an aspiration for the site to be operated as a commercial mill as an integral element within a heritage centre and visitor attraction.

Following a successful restoration project the mill was opened by the Right Honourable the Earl of Perth of Stobhall on 28th April 1989.

Due to a series of commercial challenges the mill ceased to operate circa 1999.

The adjacent tourism office remains open and is currently utilising some of the internal spaces of the mill for storage.