Lower City Mills: Corn Mill (Former), West Mill Street, Perth

Part of a 3-storey, 4-x 5-bay, mainly rectangular former mill block, oversailing its tailrace and with pyramidal-roofed former kiln with roof vent at SE corner. Rubble with smooth raised margins. Canted SW corner. Regular rectangular openings. South elevation with off-centre, later, 2-leaf timber entrance doors.

This is an important early survival of a former mill from Perth's industrial past which retains much of its internal workings. The footprint of the building remains little altered from the 1st Edition Ordnance Survey Map of 1860 and the building is an important part of the streetscape. This mill acquired its present form after a fire in 1803 but it is likely to contain some earlier fabric, as a mill is depicted on the earlier, 1783 map. It is marked on the 1st Edition Map as a corn mill and a barley mill. It was latterly in use as an oatmeal mill and stopped production in 1953. The building now houses the Tourist Information Centre.

This area was served by the town's lade which brought water from the River Almond. This mill was part of a complex which included an upper mill, a flour mill, a lower mill, an oatmeal mill and a granary and offices. The upper mill is now the Ramada Perth Hotel and the old granary is now flats. The other buildings have been demolished. (Historic Scotland)

The mill building includes a rare collection of early mill machinery over four floors, which was operational during its last use as a visitor attraction. The mill includes an unusually large mill wheel of 4m wide and 5m diameter which hasn't turned since a reduction of water in the mill lade following the flood prevention works undertaken in Perth. (Perth and Kinross Heritage Trust)

March 2012: External and internal inspection arranged through Perth and Kinross Heritage Trust (PKHT). The former corn mill was converted to a visitor attraction, including a working mill, from 1982-88. This proved unsuccesful and ceased to operate around 1999. A wide range of original machinery remains in situ. The tourism office, which occupies the adjacent Barclay Mill (former barley mill) makes occaisonal use of the corn mill for storage. The building remains in fair condition but the restoration work of the late 1980s is starting to tire. There is a crack down the north elevation which has cracked one large stone as well as the cement mortar. There is a substantial patch of the masonry at the foot of the north elevation which requires repointing. The mill lade requires dredging and the removal of plant growth and litter. PKHT is currently undertaking a study to investigate options for the site.

12 March 2014: External inspection finds the building remains in much the same condition as seen previously and is in partial use as storage for the Tourist Information Office. PKHT advise they continue to pursue the full re-use of the building. Perth and Kinross Council is proposing the relocation of the TIC to another location with Perth with a higher footfall location.

21 November 2023: Perth and Kinross Heritage Trust has announced the proposed redevelopment of the Lower City Mills into a centre for traditional conservation skills and scottish milling, will not progress. Amongst other factors, changes in post-Covid financial environment have compromised their business plan.