Dalgarven Mill Museum of Country Life and Costume

Dalgarven Mill stands beside the River Garnock in the Garnock Valley, North Ayrshire. The restored 17th-century watermill is one of very few still working in Scotland. It was originally a waulk mill set up by Kilwinning Abbey monks in the 14th century. The present corn mill dates from 1614 and was rebuilt after a fire in the 19th century. A breast-shot wheel, six metres across, turns the French burr stones through cast-iron gearing. The mill interprets local history and country life through its exhibits and demonstrations. Traditional flour production can be followed on guided tours when the wheel is turning. The museum occupies the converted grain store and shows Ayrshire farming tools, threshing machines and the village smithy. A small shop sells local crafts and publications. Visitors walk past the mill pond and weir built on a natural dyke. The cobbled yard still holds the old whin crusher used to prepare animal feed. The mill’s high enclosing walls once shaded the wheel from summer sun. A stone alcove was designed to encourage owls that kept down vermin in stored grain.