Campaigners have given up their dream of taking over an 18th century mill that featured in a TV adaption of Sunset Song – but remain hopeful someone else can resurrect the historic building.
The category A-listed Benholm Mill, in the Mearns area of Aberdeenshire, closed as a visitor attraction in 2014 and is owned by the council.
For more than two years the Mill of Benholm Enterprise community organisation has been working to secure a community asset transfer and bring it back to full working order as a heritage centre, with a cafe, community events, walks and tours.
But now the group has officially withdrawn its proposals due to the challenged posed by the pandemic.
Members hope the North East Scotland Preservation Trust (NESPT) will be able to take over the site instead.
Group chairwoman, Mairi Eddie, said: “It’s not a decision we took lightly.
“We’ve put in a lot of work, but we just couldn’t see a way forward.
“While we’re disappointed our asset transfer didn’t work out, we’re taking a different path towards protecting it.
“The NESPT do amazing work, if anyone can do it, I hope they can.
“They are very keen to see the mill maintained and upgraded, and saved for the future.”
Dating back to 1711, the site featured in the 1971 TV version of Lewis Grassic Gibbon’s novel Sunset Song.
The mill was officially closed as a commercial operation in 1982, after the death of the last miller, but was reopened as a heritage attraction in 1993 after extensive repair work.