My Great Grandfather T M Hunter opened the Mill in 1901, it eventually closed around 1985. Thomas’s first wife died from an infection, he then married Margaret Macdonald who survived him. Margaret ensured that the mill passed down the line of her children which is why the decedents of the children of the first marriage were minor share holders in the mill, in fact over the years they not allowed to increase their share holdings. One of the reasons the mill closed was after the just before the death of one of the last main shareholders, 2 of the decedents extracted their money from the mill leaving it with a large debt. The share certificate is on of many that were held by decedents of the first marriage, they have no value other than sentimental interest.

Both my father Gordon MacDonald Hunter and his brother Richard Norman Hunter worked in the mill in their younger years.

 The original mill has been closed for a number of years, while on holiday during September 1999 in Brora I found that it was possible to get into the old mill buildings.  I did not expect there to be much of the old mill left, assuming all that could be taken to the new mill building had been and the rest sold off.

When the funding for the New Mill was provided it depended on a new mill being built, this was sadly short sighted, the old mill could have continued to have provided employment at the heart of the village. The new mill has not been successfull, going into liquidation at least 3 times since it was first opened.

I was both amazed and saddened to find the mill fairly intact, it was as if the staff had been evacuated in a hurry and just left things where they fell.

Yes, many of the machines have gone, most of the fittings have also gone, though this could simply be a matter of people utilizing that which has been abandoned.