Tucked away on the “Hidden Road” south of Balmaclellan is Ironmacannie Mill, believed to be one of the oldest corn and flour watermills in the South of Scotland. The mill was powered by water from the Shirmers Burn and was used by all the tenanted farms on the Kenmure Castle Estate from the early 1600’s. It was used commercially until the 1940’s, but thereafter fell slowly into disrepair. Then in the 1990’s, it was converted into a dwelling house with much of the Mill machinery still in situ.
Now the mill serves as a self catering holiday let, and a model of using renewable energy. It powers itself with hydroelectricity, coming off very same source that used to spin the millstones. It is also heated throughout the year with a ground source heat pump and a good efficient wood burning stove.
Ironmacannie mill can facilitate 10 guests. There are two double bedrooms, a room with two bunk beds and two additional double sofa beds. We are also dog friendly.
What a lovely week we had over new year! Couldn’t think of a nicer way to spend the new year, staying at the Mill was amazing from start to finish.... read more Lovely area with amazing and friendly hosts. I would definitely book again in the future
If you’re looking for a rustic far from the madding crowd stay, this place is perfect. Totally out in the countryside with a river and waterfall the setting is very... read more picturesque. The mill house is beautiful very old and rustic with a log burner and a very olde worlde feel to it.
On arrival we were greeted by our very friendly host Lorraine and I got the feeling that if we asked nothing would be too much trouble.
We thoroughly enjoyed our time there and the dark sky experience was something else!
Close by is loch Ken...9 miles long and beautiful and the small town of Castle Douglas a beautiful gem with lots of unusual shops and great stock.
On the whole a thoroughly enjoyable stay.
Thanks Lorraine
What a way to spend the last weekend of my 20s! The pictures don’t do this place justice, you really need to come and see it for yourself. Stunning surroundings,... read more lots to explore, great communication from Lorraine. The hot tub is a MUST and the sauna followed by a cold dip in the river. We’ll be gatekeeping this hidden gem for future bookings. 😊
We had an amazing trip over the weekend at the hidden mill. Lorraine was awesome and was there whenever we needed her. The mill is unbelievable, it exceeded our expectations.... read more The hot tub and woodland sauna is a must. The whole place just ooozes character.
We had total freedom to enjoy ourselves and very tucked away and cut off from the rest of the world, just what we wanted.
Everything was perfect
Thanks for having us!
The Hidden Mill is a fantastically intimate hideaway for any group holiday! Lorraine was really communicative, and gave clear directions and provided lots of resources for the local area, as... read more well as some activities that we could get involved in if we wanted.
The Mill itself was clean, tidy and comfortable, but it's the grounds that really make the place. The garden is huge, and absolutely amazing - the stream, the waterfall, the hot tub, what has been planted there - it all makes it a really special place.
We also weren't short of day trips as the area surrounding the Mill is also great. Thanks so much Lorraine (and Mama and Kaya).
Such a magical place to stay! The mill is full of character with a wonderful garden and lovely local walks. We had a fantastic time celebrating my mum’s 70th and... read more my niece’s 1st birthday. The kids absolutely loved exploring the mill and playing with the toys. Lorraine couldn’t have been more helpful. We really hope to return one day soon!
This is a brilliant place to stay, really unique and special. The house itself is stunning and interesting and is within a beautiful and tranquil landscape. My family and I... read more had an awesome time chilling out and exploring the local woodland and magnificent Loch Ken nearby. In addition to this, a really magical part of our holiday was witnessing the love of the land, of the hosts and community of volunteers that surround the mill. I wish there were more places with this ethos of sustainable living. It was a privelege to witness! Oh and if you are wondering.... Book the sauna!
Beautiful spot, nestled in amongst the fields and hills. The mill really makes you feel "away from it all", and you'll have everything you need for a comfy and relaxing... read more stay. The hot tub wasn't working when we were there, but they offered us the sauna experience instead, which was amazing. The animals, trampoline and swing were a hit with the kids, and I loved the quiet walks and sunset views. Lorraine and her family are super hosts, very knowledgeable and kind. I would definitely stay here again!
My friends and I visited mid march and we had an absolutely wonderful time. The area is beautiful, the house fantastic and the hot tub excellent! Fully recommend, Lorraine was... read more a amazing host, quick response and super helpful tips.
We will be back!
Rachel, Chereen , Maria, kirsty and Alex
Xx
We had a great time on our stay - lots of lovely walks nearby. Wigtown was our favourite - we spent the day there looking through bookshops and drinking coffee.... read more Would suggest double checking all amenities are available before booking - hot tub is currently broken however a new one is on its way so hopefully this will be rectified soon. Lorraine was a very communicative host and gave us great tips for things to do around the area.
We booked this for my Mum’s 60th birthday. This was designed to be a break for the family following the COVID lockdown beginning to be lifted.
We were appalled... read more at the state of the property especially as this host has committed to your COVID guidelines and so our expectation was that it would be clean and safe.
We made a call to Air BnB on the first night of our stay and were told our issues would be escalated immediately to an account manager but received no further outreach and this as well as the extreme rural location left us with no option but to stay there at distress to all of us.
Please see a list of items below that guests should consider ahead of booking:
- Only after booking we were told that there was building works happening on premises, there was no free WiFi (property is advertised as having this) or phone signal. We continued with the booking believing that otherwise we would not be refunded and we thought we would try make the best of it, but the stay got increasingly worse..
- The property has a shared drive (we were not told this).. only that there was enough room for 3x cars. As a result one of our vehicles was damaged by the hosts child riding a scooter into it.
- The oven was filthy resulting in billowing smoke whenever trying to use it, we reported this to the host who admitted it had not been cleaned properly and although they attempted to clean it still produced smoke which made it hard to cook.
- On the first night the property was extremely cold, we had not had any guidance or explanation on how to use items within the home from the host and so we messaged her with urgency to ask how to activate the central heating, it took her until the next day to turn this on and let us know
- The plates and cutlery were all dirty and had to be put through the dishwasher by ourselves to ensure cleanliness again this is against the COVID guidelines the host committed too
-There were serious issues with mould in the property in both bathrooms including: mould on the floor, mould on the shower/sinks and even on the shower head
- Whilst it is a rural location so understand there can be bugs etc there were bugs all over a light fitting in the bedroom. There were also a lot of cobwebs suggesting things had not been cleaned.
- We were required to strip the bedding following our stay in support of COVID and were absolutely appalled and disgusted at what we found (see images) including extreme filth and mould on pillows, this discovery actually caused one of our party to have a panic attack.
All of these issues have documented photos.
We are highlighting these things as we really don't want others to experience what we did.
So much more amazing than the pictures could ever capture! This wonderful home is spacious and beautiful and more than we could've ever hoped for. Our family of 7+2 babies... read more stayed for three nights and never ran out of things to do. The countryside walks, fire place in the basement for music, family meals in the dining room, sitting outside enjoying the beautiful scenery and so much more. We can't thank Lorraine enough for sharing their beautiful home... Thank you so, so much and we would highly recommend this home to anyone looking for a wonderful home and magical experience!
A great, relaxing trip. Just what we needed for a few days away. The Mill building is interesting and quirky, the river running past adds real character and so peaceful... read more at night listening to it. Weather a bit too cold to try out the hot tub! Everyone was very friendly, our dogs felt quite at home and a really interesting setup. The surrounding country is stunning and so much to do in the area - coastal walks, hill walks, wildlife. Recommend a visit
We had an amazing stay, the mill was outstanding, homely, cosy and with lots of character, the location is amazing,surrounded by nature, looking at the stars at night whilst in... read more bed, was very magical. Lorraine was lovely and catered to all our needs. We will be definitely be booking to stay again. ☺️
We had a wonderful time at the mill! The outdoor wood fired hot tub was the highlight of our stay. We cooked at home each night and the kitchen was... read more full of amenities. There was games in the house which we played too. Overall, it was a really wholesome trip in a truly beautiful area. Lorraine was also extremely helpful at helping us organise our stay and when it came to using the hot tub. Thank you for a lovely trip.
Thank you so much for a great Christmas trip. The mill was beautiful and the surrounding area amazing. We loved the hot tub and sauna. They were great with our... read more 2 anxious dogs.
Beautiful location and stunning place. The furnishings were so cosy and made us feel right at home! The photos definitely don't do it justice. Really helpful host too. Can't recommend... read more the views of the stars from the garden enough!
Lorraine was a wonderful host. She was in touch before our arrival with checkin instructions and general advice.
She was around to help us with the hot tub and... read more the sauna on the Friday night and Saturday morning.
She also messaged me the morning we were travelling as there had been some road closures in the area so we could ensure we were taking the best route.
Very easy to find but tucked out of the way with a very communicative and accomodating host. A lovely setting made for a great stay!
The mill is wonderful!! We comfortably fit 7 adults and 5 kids and had a great weekend! The old features added great character and the kids loved seeing the water... read more pass by. The place was clean and had loads of charm and I would highly recommend it for familia looking to get away and enjoy time together
We visited the Hidden Mill for my hens weekend away and it was brilliant. Lorraine was so helpful from the start, sending through a list of great local activities we... read more might enjoy and then arranging one for us. We went on a foraging tour of the backyard and a nearby field with the knowledgable Alex - it was fascinating, tailored to the group’s needs and thoroughly enjoyed by all, I highly recommend it!
The Hidden Mill itself was awesome. From it’s quiet, secluded location to the garden and beautiful decor inside, this place is filled with character and made for a special get-away.
Had a great few days at The Hidden Mill. Beautiful accommodation in a great setting. House has everything you need to have a great stay.
Very friendly and welcoming... read more hosts.
Got lucky and had a couple of nights with a clear sky for stargazing........such an awesome sight.
Hot tub was also a wonderful chill out way to end your day.
Will hopefully be back.
This was such an amazing stay. A beautiful building conversion, huge wood fireplace, a lovely garden with river and waterfall at our doorstep, and an outside wood fire hot tub... read more 🙂
Host was super helpful and lovely, and made sure our stay was perfect.
Copyright © 2024 · All Rights Reserved · The Hidden Mill
Adventure Theme by Organic Themes · WordPress Hosting · RSS Feed · Log in