Click Mill

Nestled beside a burn in the rolling moorland near Dounby, Click Mill offers a fascinating glimpse into a time when renewable energy was simply a way of life. Harnessing the power of flowing water long before the arrival of electricity, this beautifully preserved water mill is one of the finest surviving examples of its kind in Scotland.

Built in the early 1800s by a local farmer and inspired by Orkney's Norse heritage, Click Mill is the last horizontal water mill remaining in the islands. Carefully restored, it still contains its original machinery, including the paddle wheel, grindstones, hopper and meal bin, allowing visitors to step back into a working world that has largely disappeared.

With its traditional turf roof, remarkable stonework and peaceful setting, the mill is as striking as it is historic. Once, dozens of water-powered mills like this helped sustain communities across Orkney and the wider north of Scotland. Today, Click Mill stands as a reminder that the islands' reputation for harnessing natural energy stretches back centuries, long before Orkney became a world leader in renewable innovation.