Milldriggan Mill, Braehead

Milldriggan Mill, built in the late 18th century, is a two-storey and attic building that likely began as a water-powered textile mill, later converted to grain milling in the early 19th century by William Routledge of Cumbria. At that time, the internal floor levels were altered to create the current four levels, and new windows were inserted to provide light. The building’s most recent use was for processing animal feed, with most of the machinery dating from the 20th century.

The mill’s long elevations demonstrate an original symmetrical design, with a central 2-3-2 bay section flanked by full-height additions from the early 19th century. To the east, the addition houses a kiln, while the western addition includes a cartshed on the ground floor and a store above. The original building is symmetrical in both plan and elevation, with the central three bays projecting to the front and rear. The exterior walls are of packed rubble with dressed granite quoins, cills, and lintels, and the additions are constructed of similar materials. A single-storey gabled wing to the rear was formerly a byre. Granite quoins and a sandstone ridge and skew are noticeable features. Originally, the windows were single-light and large, with varied glazing; some have been blocked or narrowed. Windows at mezzanine levels were inserted during the 19th-century alterations to illuminate new floor arrangements. Additional full-height blocks extend the building to the east and west, with lower, lean-to end bays. The roof is covered with graded slates, likely dating from the earlier to mid-19th century, except for the corrugated asbestos on the east side, which replaced the original roof after a fire in 1940. Skews are present on the west side and over the kiln, and the kiln vent has been rebuilt.

The interior shows some indication of the original floor levels and a possible fireplace on both the ground and attic floors. The current floor levels largely reflect Routledge's conversion to grain milling. Stone supports are visible on the ground floor, suggesting the former presence of four pairs of grinding stones, though all 19th-century grain milling machinery has since been removed. The equipment now present, including hoists, fanners, and dressers, dates from the 20th-century use in processing animal feed. The kiln was rebuilt around 1940 following a fire.