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Dufftown [Overview]

Dufftown, Mortlach, Banffshire.

Generic.

Although bands of the Dalradian 'Dufftown Limestone Member' metalimestone underlie several parts of the Dufftown/Mortlach area where multiple streamways are present (primarily the River Fiddich & Dullan Water), no subsurface features have been reported here to date. Opencast mining has however taken place at several localities around the town where lime works operated at Tininver [NJ 3302 3995], Richmond [3301 3977], & Parkmore [3301 4080]. Only the operations at Parkmore remain in operation today, where Leiths Parkmore Quarry remains the principal source of agricultural lime for Moray, West Aberdeenshire and East Highlands.

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"1951 - A rich vein of limestone runs through the parish and at the present time there are upwards of 60 people engaged in the lime industry in Mortlach. The earliest lime works of any consequence appears to have been at Tininver, its first quarry, Priest's Quarry, being in the neighbourhood of the Roman Catholic Chapel. Later the Tininver Works had another quarry farther along the road from the kilns towards Poolinch. The Richmond Lime Works are of a later date and their quarry provides road stone at the present time for the County Council. At first, the two works were carried on independently and later together by a company, two of whose directors were Mr George Gordon, Abbeyfield, (an Elgin surveyor and at one time a tenant of Tullochallum) and a Mr George Grant of Elgin. This company withdrew from the lime business in 1903, when J. and C. Kemp, proprietors of Parkmore Lime Works entered into a lease of the 'Tininver Works', working them only during the busy season. It is doubtful if any lime was produced at Richmond Works after 1903.

Parkmore Lime Works began operations about 1891 under James Kemp, who was then proprietor of the land on which they are situated. He succeeded in getting the railway to install a siding in front of the kilns, a great advantage in those days of no motor transport. On the death of James Kemp in 1903, his two, sons, James and Charles, became proprietors and in 1912 they brought into use a patent gas-fired kiln. In 1938 ownership was transferred to Mr James G. Birnie and in 1943 Parkmore Limes Limited was formed, with Mr W. D. Hutcheon, Turriff and Mr Birnie as directors. Besides the usual lump of shell lime for builders and plasterers, ground lime and ground limestone are produced for agricultural purposes. The limestone is also crushed for poultry grit, while lime hydrate is another product. Since 1945 Government subsidy has led to a boom in the production of agricultural lime and a considerable fleet of lorries and specially equipped lime-spreaders transport this product over the whole of the northeast." [Stephen, 1961]

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Given six figure coordinates are for a point at the NE extremity of the former Tininver limestone quarry (now infilled) that formed part of the Tininver Lime Works: "depicted on the OS 1st and 2nd edition maps. The 1st edition shows a line of 3 lime kilns, with another further to the west. A fifth kiln appears to have been added to the north by the time of the 2nd edition map. To the west is the Tinniver quarry (NJ33NW0097), the original source of limestone for the works, although this quarry is depicted as disused on the 2nd edition map, and had been replaced by another quarry (also named Tininver quarry - NJ34SW0097) to the north of the works. In 1970s two limekilns dating from the early 19th century remained. These were two large single draw kilns on an L-plan with the segmental arched draw holes in the angle of the left kiln, rubble built. These kilns had been largely demolished by the mid 1990s. Modern dwellings occupy part of the site of the works. The quarry has been infilled and the site occupied by modern housing." [Aberdeen Council HER]

Alternative Names: None recorded.