Peckhole windmill, North Ronaldsay

Windmills have been a common sight in the Orkney landscape for centuries. There are several examples of windmills used for grinding grain across the islands (for example at Holland, Papa Westray) and many farms had small wind powered water pumps.

Peckhole was the last working windmill in Scotland, the circular stone-built turret base was topped by a jettied timber revolving sail house with four sails. This upper section is now missing but a reconstruction drawing shows the long tail beam allowing the sail house to be moved to face the wind. The windmill operated until about 1908 when it was replaced by a diesel engine-powered meal mill to its immediate north-west. The stone base of the windmill survives today.