Culter Mills in Autumn,1975
Much of the early industry of Culter was concentrated along the course of the Culter burn at Burnside and Kennerty. At one time, a saw-mill and a snuff factory stood near the mouth of the burn. At Kennerty stood the Smithy and the local corn mill.
In 1750, Bartholomew Smith, took on a lease from Patrick Duff of Premnay—the owner of much of Culter Estate at that time:
“all and haill the Waulkmill of Craigtown with the houses, yards and crofts, or portion of land and grass belonging thereto , as then possesses by John Selbie with the privilege of using the water, for the payment of the yearly rent of sixty pounds Scots”
By the 1st January, 1851 this entrepreneurial Manxman had begun the manufacture of paper in Culter.
BARTHOLOMEW SMITH
Paper-maker from England, who has now erected and set going on the Burn of Culter, a Paper-Mill, where he can serve the Country in paper, fine and coarse brown paper, Paste-boards, Pressing-cards for Dysters, etc., gives notice that he buys rags of all kinds of flax or hemp, by the stone weight, and designs for that end to come to Aberdeen every Friday. Mr Smith expects, that as his Undertaking is so beneficial to the Country, every person will be careful to save these materials for his work which formerly were thrown away as useless.”
(Aberdeen Journal : 8th January 1851)
The mill survived many changes of fortunes and owners until the economic conditions of the early 1980’s forced its closure. The divorce of Culter from paper-making was set for St Valentine’s Day -14 February 1981. However, it was felt more appropriate for a ten-minute blast from the Mill hooter to sound the death knell at noon on Friday the 13th. The workers who climbed the steep Mill Brae, for the last time, that day left behind the history of generations of families who had worked at the Mill.
Culter Mills from the air
| CULTER MILLS PAPER CO. LTD | |
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| Rules of the Work, October 1926 | |