Romesdal

The River Romesdal flowing from Romesdal Bridge down to Loch Snizort. The trees are mainly hazels.

The river enters Loch Snizort close to West House, at low tide in particular,  the upstairs sitting room windows provide a comfortable bird watching hide. There are elusive otters in the river. In autumn the shore is littered with hazel nuts washed down from the bushes upstream.

Evening light on the Cuillins seen from the estuary of the River Romesdal

Romesdal Mill: The mill is considered to be the best surviving example of the mills built by James Gillespie Graham,there are three compartment sand a kiln. Built around 1802 the mill had fallen in to disuse by 1915. It is one of the many watermills on Skye which fell into disuse as a result of the clearances.

 'The use of querns was outlawed so that people were obliged to make use of their landlords' mills. However, in 1833 Alexander Mackenzie reported that 'nearly all the meal mills that used, in great numbers, to be constantly employed 20 to 50 years ago, have fallen into decay or are lying completely idle in consequence of the evictions and of the best portions of the Island having been laid waste to make room for large sheep farms. These silent and dilapidated buildings now proclaim the sad truth respecting the once prosperous inhabitants of the famous and soldier-producing island more eloquently than pen can record'.


Taken from "Western Seaboard: An Illustrated Architectural Guide", by Mary Miers, 2008. Published by the Rutland Press http://www.rias.org.uk

The remains of the mill wheel and lade

Rufus enjoying paddling in the burn which powered the mill