Finzean Bucket Mill CIC

Finzean Bucket Mill CIC We are a not-for-profit social enteprise, caring for the Finzean Bucket Mill, an A-listed water powered sawmill in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.

The mill produces unique turned buckets and we use the process of repair to teach heritage skills.

This week we had a visit from the SPAB | The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings Fellows and Scholars, who h...
01/09/2026

This week we had a visit from the SPAB | The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings Fellows and Scholars, who have been travelling the length and breadth of the UK since March visiting craftsfolk and projects relating to building conservation, historic buildings and craft trades.

It's especially poignant to welcome them to the Finzean Bucket Mill, as it was the Fellowship programme which brought me to the Bucket Mill for the first time in 2022. From small seeds...

With a team of nine we achieved a huge advancement in the work to repair the weir, shifting around ten tonnes of local field stone into position, finishing off the infill dyking and installing more of the kicker boards that take water smoothly up and over the weir in times of spate flooding.

Our repairs to the Bucket Mill weir have also been generously supported by SPAB Mills Section - the national windmill and watermill society.

Applications for the Fellowship and Scholarship programme close soon - visit the SPAB website for more information.

Farewell to contractors Ross Cameron and Troy holt.from.the.blue who joined us for the last two weeks and threw themselv...
21/08/2026

Farewell to contractors Ross Cameron and Troy holt.from.the.blue who joined us for the last two weeks and threw themselves at the work and as tutors for last week's skills placements.

Thanks to their sterling efforts we are now ahead of schedule! All main timber work on the weir is complete, with around two thirds of the stone work finished.

We now turn our attention towards fabricating the mesh screens required to meet SEPA stipulations and gearing up to host a visit from this year's SPAB | The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings Fellows and Scholars, who are travelling the UK, in a week's time.

The Bucket Mill's weir is taking shape nicely in the Water of Feugh.We've been blessed with fair weather. The nationwide...
18/08/2026

The Bucket Mill's weir is taking shape nicely in the Water of Feugh.

We've been blessed with fair weather. The nationwide drought is good for us as it means the river level is as low as can be, which makes work much easier.

In the mill, Jack Nesbit has been inducting volunteers in using the lathe to turn the two foot long pegs we use to pin logs together.

In the river the weir frame is taking shape with Ross Cameron leading the work. Much of the new fish pass is close to completion.

Over the weekend holt.from.the.blue and Alexis Zafiropoulos finished off the drystane butresses which hold a new screen to prevent salmon swimming up the outflow lade. More on that soon.

Please note: the Bucket Mill is closed to the public. As a construction site all visits are to be by prior arrangement only.

A huge thanks to our new volunteers Shaun, Clive, Angus, Mark, Rob and Adrian who answered the call to help peel logs th...
13/08/2026

A huge thanks to our new volunteers Shaun, Clive, Angus, Mark, Rob and Adrian who answered the call to help peel logs this week. We have four more in the stack, which probably leaves one or two to do by Friday to keep the team in the weir fed with logs. We also have posts to cut (which support logs in the river) and pegs for both the weir and waterwheel to turn.

If you would like to volunteer, please email [email protected] to register interest in the first instance. Regrettably we can't yet welcome turn-up-and-go volunteers to the mill so be in touch first.

13/08/2026

A very high wildfire warning is in place for Eastern Highlands, Eastern and Southern Scotland from today (Wednesday, 12 August) until Thursday, 13 August.

Everyone should avoid lighting outdoor fires or barbecues. A single spark can cause significant damage, and there is no such thing as a harmless fire.

You can help prevent the risk of wildfires by sharing this post with your family, friends, and any visitors or tourists.

If you see an outdoor fire, call 999 immediately. Give the location and any other relevant information so we can respond quickly.

Today was our first day in the river, which was pretty sweet given the 18 months of planning, paperwork and fundraising ...
10/08/2026

Today was our first day in the river, which was pretty sweet given the 18 months of planning, paperwork and fundraising to get to this point. Thanks to Historic Environment Scotland and the SPAB Mills Section Repair Fund for supporting these works and The Trades Widows' Fund Charity for supporting developing the background infrastructure to make it all happen.

Last week's head start on the log peeling meant our specialist roundwood timber framer Ross Cameron and skills placements Hayden and Meg spent no time getting the first log in place by the end of the day. And to volunteer Clive for peeling more logs to keep the river works fed. Hopefully a good omen for the rest of the work.

We still have some slots for skills training placements in August and early September. These placements are suitable for those with practical or trade experience but who are wanting to learn more about the building crafts and conservation and are motivated to help us with our project at the Bucket Mill. Unfortunately we only have very basic facilities at the mill for camping so placements are best suited to those accustomed to outdoor living, with a bursary of £200/per week to support travel and sustinence costs. If you would be interested please email [email protected] for more information.

Would you like to help us with our work to reinstate the Bucket Mill's weir?Thanks to funding from the The Trades Widows...
07/08/2026

Would you like to help us with our work to reinstate the Bucket Mill's weir?

Thanks to funding from the The Trades Widows' Fund Charity we have been able to develop some of the essential infrastructure required to welcome volunteers to the Bucket Mill.

Next week (w/c 10th August) we would be especially grateful for help to peel logs to keep our specialist roundwood timber framers fed with material.

We can now offer a limited number of sessions, AM, PM (or both), with full task training and site induction. All you need to do is email [email protected] for more information.

You'll need your own steel toe capped boots and work clothes but all other protective equipment can be supplied.

Work on the weir has begun!After obtaining final consents last week we have wasted no time in getting to work. Today we ...
05/08/2026

Work on the weir has begun!

After obtaining final consents last week we have wasted no time in getting to work. Today we put these brilliantly fabricated log stands made by the talented Jack Nesbit - Blacksmith into use.

These frames let us work on logs at a comfortable height and the screw jack means they can be adjusted on uneven ground - perfect for scribing joints by the riverside.

These logs will form the frame of the weir, which is a unique roundwood log construction, packed with river stones. The weir channels water down our lade to bring water to the waterwheel of the mill. As part of the work, we are including a fish ladder in the weir to enable salmon to climb the weir.

Unfortunately it is not possible to visit the mill whilst work is ongoing. However, keep your eyes peeled for our website launching soon, where you will be able to book tickets for tours of the Bucket Mill for the upcoming .scot on 19th and 20th September.

10/05/2026

In exploring ways to make a circular supply chain, today we are on the north coast at looking at small scale charcoal production, with a keen eye on producing and adding value to our future waste sawmill products.

When we'll be needing to do plenty of forge work in the future, making charcoal in-house is one of the many things we can do to build a genuinely sustainable and low-carbon local supply chain. Beyond burning charcoal, there are some exciting uses for charcoal, particularly with bio-char, a compost addictive.

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Old School
Finzean
AB316NY

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