Set in a wooded gorge on Matheson’s Brook sits the Balmoral Grist Mill.
It is amazing to see the fine workmanship and intricate gears and stone grinding wheels, levers and pulleys that work so seamlessly together to grind a variety of grains. The output is flour, oat meal and meal of different grades. You can picture the farmers or their wives coming by from their nearby farms in the area 140 years ago with a sack of wheat, oats or barley and having the miller grind it up for flour.
The mill was built in 1874 by Alexander MacKay. Tthere were mills of many types in this area.
The mill is still in working order. We took the tour with the friendly and knowledgeable museum guide and learned about all the steps in production of flour from wheat, buckwheat, oats and various grains for making flour and animal feed.
This is definitely worth the visit.
The Setting (video)
Video from Balmoral Grist Mill Museum
Photo Gallery Slideshow
Other spots of interest in the area:
More information
- Balmoral Grist Mill – Nova Scotia Museum. Hours, admission and details
- Balmoral Grist Mill – Nova Scotia.COM
- More about grist mills – Wikipedia