A photograph looking north across the River Don towards the remains of Cothal Mills in June 1976. This image was likely taken not far from Dyce Cemetery.

Foxgloves can be seen in the foreground on the southern bank of the river. The buildings on the other side were part of a former woollen, yarn or flock mill complex.

The book Gordon: an illustrated architectural guide (1994) by Ian Shepherd, page 170, states that the mills, steam and water powered, once employed upwards of 100 workers and were superseded by the larger works downstream at Grandhome.

See Crombies of Grandholm and Cothal, 1805-1960: records of an Aberdeenshire enterprise (1960) edited by John R. Allan for more information on the use of the mills by the Crombie firm.

An entry for the mills in the Aberdeenshire Ordnance Survey Name Books, 1865-1871, reads as follows:

"A large pile of buildings situated close to the river Don. Originally there was a meal mill here and subsequently, when the greater portion of the houses were erected, the manufacture of woollen cloth was carried on; now yarn is the only production. Motive power water. Contiguous to the mill there are a considerable number of dwellinghouses inhabited by the mill workers. Property of Sir William Forbes Bart." (reference: OS1/1/30/64)

Large scale Ordnance Survey mapping indicates that Cothal Mills were disused by around the mid-20th century.

At the time of writing in 2023, the main buildings shown here have been converted to residential use. A property notice titled 'Old Mill by River Don up for grabs' in the Press & Journal of 24th March 1992, page 18, states that Upper Cothal Mill, on the right in this image but mostly obscured by trees, then up for sale, had been converted into a spacious family home in 1985, following a period of disrepair.

Location

Dyce

Keyword

Industry

Photographer

John A. Souter