Cairn's Mill

Cairn's Mill^[1] consists of a group of buildings^[2] close to the Blackadder Water in the parish of Fogo, county of Berwickshire, Borders of Scotland. The presence of a mill at this site is indicated on a map from 1654^[3], which covers the historic region within the Scottish Borders known as the Merse.

All buildings within this settlement are registered as Category C listed buildings^[4], which includes both the cottage and the steadings on the hillside and the mill down in the Blackadder Water valley, adjacent to the mill race. All these buildings were erected between the late 18th and mid 19th century, with some later additions. According to the oldest inhabitant's memories the mill was still in use in the late 1960s. The only access route is via a single-track road, which to the west leads to the village of Fogo, just over a mile away, and to the east roughly half a mile to Bogend Farm.

Cairn's Mill cottage resides on the hillside about 6 metres north of the steadings, the garden behind sloping towards the mill below. The original, much smaller cottage may date back to the 18th century. Most additions and alterations had occurred by the mid 19th century, some more in the following decades. The current cottage is L-shaped, with the older section to the east, to which a wider western section was later added. A gabled porch serves as the main entrance, the initial structure's door serves as side entrance.^[4][5]

The Cairn's Mill steadings are laid out in a rectangular form. The oldest parts probably date back to the 18th century. Three sections (west, north, east) connect to form a courtyard open to the south. A description from the year 1998 mentions a rubble wall enclosing the southern end of the courtyard.^[4]

The original Cairn's Mill cornmill, later in use as a sawmill, was erected before 1654 in the valley of the Blackadder Water, beside the mill race (mill lade on Ordnance Survey maps for Scotland). No date is given for the current two-storeyed building, but the existing documentation suggests that it is of similar age as the hillside buildings. The walls are constructed of rubble masonry; roofing material is mostly corrugated iron except for the slate-covered kiln to the north. All original machinery has been removed from the interior of the mill. At some date a sawmill was attached and the corrugated iron roofing of the eastern side of the building was correspondingly extended.^[4][5]

The site Cairn's Mill first appears as a water wheel symbol on Joan Blaeu's map of the Merse. It is one of a whole series of mills spaced along the Blackadder river.^[3] Thus the mill must have been in regular use before the area was initially surveyed and well before the map was printed in 1654.

Alterations and extensions of the buildings may be traced since 1771. The most significant alterations are the enlargement of the hillside cottage, the continual development of the steadings, and the addition of a cottage (now demolished) in the valley at the foot of the downhill track leading to the mill.

Four owners of Cairn's Mill are documented:

• D. M. Robertson Esq., current owner of the estate in 1840.^[6]
• Richard Trotter esq. is registered as subsequent proprietor of Cairn's Mill until he sold the property sometime before 1866.^[7]
• George Sanderson is mentioned in 1866 as 'farmer at Cairnsmill'.^[7]
• The Calder family purchased Bogend Farm and Cairn's Mill before 1955.^[4]

The following links lead to maps with annotations that display various stages of the development of Cairn's Mill and surroundings:

• Map by Andrew Armstrong, 1771
• A 1840 map stating that Cairn's Mill belongs to the property of D. M. Robertson Esq.
• The first Ordnance Survey map published in 1862
• The revised Ordnance Survey map published in 1908
• Further Ordnance Survey revisions and updates are available till mid-20th century

Note: images of the mill are not in the public domain, but are available at one of these external links.

• Gate and track leading to Cairn's Mill, southern end of the steadings visible
• Road leading away from Cairn's Mill towards Fogo
• Hedge-lined minor road approaching Cairn's Mill from Bogend Farm
• Road and fields near Cairn's Mill, en route from Bogend to Cairn's Mill, behind the ridge on the right
• Woods near Cairn's Mill
• Map by Andrew Armstrong, 1771, County of Berwick SE section; focus on Fogo parish
• Map of the property of D.M.Robertson, surveyed 1830 and 1840; section Cairn's Mill and Bogend (rotate by -45° to align to true north)
• Ordnance Survey map of Berwickshire, Sheet XXII, surveyed 1858, published 1862; focus on Fogo parish
• Ordnance Survey map of Berwickshire, XXII.NE, published 1908; focus on Fogo parish

Other places nearby include Fogo, Gavinton, the Greenknowe Tower, Greenlaw, Duns, Polwarth.

• List of listed buildings in Fogo, Scottish Borders
• List of places in the Scottish Borders
• List of places in Scotland

• Trove.scot: Images of the mill at Cairn's Mill