Latitude: 55.9738 / 55°58'25"N
Longitude: -3.309 / 3°18'32"W
OS Eastings: 318404
OS Northings: 676421
OS Grid: NT184764
Mapcode National: GBR 24.WLKW
Mapcode Global: WH6SK.43KQ
Plus Code: 9C7RXMFR+GC
Entry Name: Fair A Far Dam
Listing Name: Fair-A-Far Weir, and Mill Remains
Listing Date: 21 July 2000
Category: B
Source: Historic Scotland
Source ID: 394650
Historic Scotland Designation Reference: LB47281
Building Class: Cultural
ID on this website: 200394650
Location: Edinburgh
County: Edinburgh
Town: Edinburgh
Electoral Ward: Almond
Traditional County: West Lothian
Tagged with: Architectural structure Weir
Fair-a-far was first noted to be in existence in 1676. It was originally a waulkmill and meal mill and still operated as such in 1759, when it was sold by the Smith and Wright Work Company of Leith to the Carron Company, and until after it was sold on again in 1770 to Sir William Cadell. It was one of four mills along the Almond at Cramond, the others being Dowie's, Peggie's and Cockle Mills. It is thought that its conversion for iron-making occurred in 1773 when the mill became the forge for the group of mills along the Almond at Cramond: the iron work used imported bar iron mostly from Russia and Sweden, and was not involved in smelting. It produced a great variety of objects such as plough socs, girdles and files. The weir appears to date from after 1787 (Ainslie map), and before 1839 (Carfrae map), and presumably during the mill group's heyday as iron mills from the 1770s to 1790s. The mill was previously served by a dam 100 yards upstream. At this time too a small tramway had been provided between Cockle Mill (downstream) and Fair-a-far. The mill was bought by a Mr Inglis in 1861, along with Cockle Mill, but had ceased operation by 1873 (Valuation Rolls). The large part of Fair-a-far mill was swept away by a flood in 1935: during the repairs the lead from the weir which had passed under the mill's east forge to rejoin the river downstream, was filled in. The Stewart engraving illustrates two wheels, that on the south gable thought to have been approximatley 13' in diameter with small cog wheel above, the other on the west side. The first edition OS map indicates the existence in 1853 of a wooden bridge by the weir and a sluice upstream.
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