In the year 2000, the Knockando Woolmill won the Scottish heat of the BBC 2 programme Restoration, compered by Giles Brandreth. The four regional winners went forward to the final, but the Woolmill's bid to win the £1 million prize was not successful.
However the importance of the site and its A listed machinery had by then been recognised, and the Knockando Woolmill Trust was formed to raise the funds required for the restoration of the whole site.
By 2010 the Trust had successfully secured the £3.5 million required to carry out the work, and the two-year renovation process began.
On completion of the project, HRH the Duke of Rothesay officially opened the Knockando Woolmill to the public on 9th October 2012.
A memorable occasion, it was an opportunity to celebrate the newly restored site, and to thank all those involved in making the project a reality.
The Old Mill building before and after restoration. The buildings were comprehensively and painstakingly restored, making sure that as much as possible of the original fabric of the buildings was retained.
2013
You might remember that Knockando Woolmill was featured as one of three community garden spaces Beechgrove Garden helped redesign back in 2013 with the Mill on TV screens that September.
Beechgrove Garden worked on a design that was sensitive to the history of the mill and made provision for the dye plant garden and vegetable plots inspired by the Woolmill’s crofting past.
Many local volunteers helped with the preparation, working on the groundwork and drystone walling as well as during the filming process itself, turfing, sowing, raking, planting and potting.
To commemorate the restoration of our Mill garden, we also designed a special tartan based on the McColl sett after the programme’s presenter Jim McColl. It incorporates purple, white and the greens from the Beechgrove Garden logo.
Photographs of the garden during and after restoration
The Beechgrove Garden Tartan being woven on our historic Dobcross loom