The Horizontal Water-Mill at Dounby, on the Mainland of Orkney

Abstract

At the time of writing this mill was the last surviving of its type in Orkney and is one of the best examples of a type more common in the Shetlands and the Faroe Islands, less so in the Western Isles and Ireland. They are often known as Clack Mills due to the distinctive sound they make when in operation. Many mills would have been worked from a single stream on a family rather than a commercial basis.