Preston Mill

This is an old water mill just outside East Linton, on the River Tyne, managed by the National Trust for Scotland. It apparently featured in Outlander, but I wouldn't know about that. It dates back to the seventeenth century and was still in use commercially until 1959. I enjoyed the fact that you could see how it all worked, from drying the oats to grinding them and bagging them, all powered by one water wheel. You can watch a video of the wheel turning here. There is another building to the left of this one, but I particularly liked the fairy tale look of this part of the mill. 

We then walked across a couple of fields, crossing the river, to have a look at Phantassie Doocot, once home to 550 pigeons, which supplied meat in winter for the well-to-do. A few present-day pigeons flew out of the structure, so it's still in use, but hopefully not for winter meat. Apparently "phantassie" means muddy land by the river, rather than anything to do with fantasies, which is a pity. 

Later that day it was time for me to pack up and return to Edinburgh, leaving T there for a few more days. I came back to a warm welcome from Lexi and Alfie who then ate their tea with enthusiasm.