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Clyde Powder Mills

W of Sandbank (Dunoon), Little Eachaig River, Clachaig, Glenlean, Argyllshire.

Shaft.

The Argyll gunpowder industry consisted of four manufactuaries which were known locally as "powder mills". These were located at Furnace (near Inverary), Glen Lean (near Dunoon), Melfort (near Kilmelford) and Millhouse (near Tighnabruaich). The Melfort works closed in 1874, followed by Furnace in 1883 and Glen Lean in 1903. [kylesofbute.com]

Village of Clachaig built for employees of gunpowder factory - worked from 1843 to 1903 particularly during Crimean War. Remote spot chosen for water-power to turn millstones, but also safety and now-ruined factory featured double walls to reduce blast. People from Dunoon worked at the factory, loading gunpowder into barrels and onto boats pulled on to the shores of Holy Loch. Around Cowal Peninsula, other enterprises underway in 19th century, but area largely rural. Gunpowder works at Millhouse on far side of the Peninsula; limekilns at Kilfinan & Otter; distillery at Glen Lean and lead and silver mines at Blairmore on Loch Long, (www.forestry.gov.uk).

Alternative Names: Glenlean Powder Works, Glen Lean Gunpowder Mill.

Notes: In 1859, George Dalton was mine manager at Clyde Powder Mills. His Illegitimate son, George Dalton Ferguson was born 9 Feb. 1859 to a daughter of the Fergusons of Kilmun. (Friends reunited).

Robert Downie, proprietor, James Dorat, manager, 1837 (Pigot & Co., Commercial Directory).

The mills were established by Robert Sheriff in the 1830s (Shaw 1984, 470) and made blasting powder until the late 19th century. They then closed temporarily but were reopened in the 1890s for the manufacture of Amberite, a smokeless sporting powder (Boothroyd 1984).They closed a few years later when the manufacture was transferred to TONBRIDGE in Kent. (Rise and progress, 357).