Go to the Main Scottish Cave and Mine Database Search Page

Cononish Mine

Cononish, SW of Tyndrum, Perthshire.

Mine (Gold, Silver), currently active.

"Background: Despite being in an area known for historic lead mining, gold was not discovered at Cononish until the 1980's. Knowledge on the deposit grew from continued surface exploration and a diamond drilling campaign by successive potential operators, eventually culminating in the excavation of a 900m long exploration adit between 1989 and 1991. In 2002, the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park was established by the Scottish Government and the area surrounding the Cononish Mine subsequently incorporated into the precincts of the national park. The project passed through various ownerships, until 2007 when it was acquired by the then newly formed Scotgold Resources Limited.

Between 2007 and 2012, Scotgold improved the mineral resource delineation at Cononish whilst also seeking to secure planning permission for the development of a mine, on-site processing plant and tailings management facility. A definitive bankable feasibility study conducted by AMEC in 2011 concluded that a profitable and safe gold mining operation could be established at Cononish. Following a revised Mineral Resource estimate by CSA Global in 2015, Bara Consulting completed a new Ore Reserve estimate and bankable feasibility study. Subsequently in 2017 Bara Consulting updated this study to include a change in tailings storage design from valley impoundment to dry-stack, and to evaluate the economic implications of a phased approach to the development of the project. The Company then adopted this approach which required significantly less capital to bring the project into production at half scale, with a subsequent expansion to full scale to be self-funded. A new planning application was submitted and on 19th October 2018 Notice of Planning Approval was received from the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park. In the interim Scotgold secured the required capital and upon satisfaction of the pre-start planning conditions, work commenced on site on the 18th December 2018." [Scotgold]

- - -

"Mining previously halted in 2023, as Scotgold struggled to meet production targets due to operational setbacks and staff shortages, but is expected to resume in early 2026. The suspension of mining in certain areas, due to lower than expected grade, combined with the level of power available underground and associated ventilation, had restricted the rate of mining below the level envisaged, with a knock-on effect of delivery of less mineralised ore than planned." [Insider.co.uk]

"The mine... was acquired by South African firm Acrux Sorting Technology in March 2025. This followed the collapse of the previous owner, Scotgold Resources, which filed for administration in November 2023 after failing to secure financing." [Scottish Financial News]

Alternative Names: None recorded.

Notes: Operational mine, access permission required.

Hydrographic Feeds: None

Hydrographic Resurgences: None