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Cateran Ecomuseum

Plash Mill

Flax into Linen.

The textile industry in Blairgowrie began with the production of linen; jute was not processed until the middle of the 19th century.

This Mill was used for the treatment of linen yarn, which was soaked in water and beaten by wooden beaters to enable the fibres to bind together more easily. Little is known of this mill and nothing remains of it today. It probably got its name from the sound of the water ‘splashing’ as the yarn was soaked and beaten with paddles.

The linen, made in the first instance from flax cultivated and prepared locally, mostly at home, was spun first by ordinary spinning wheel and then the cloth hand loomed.

The industrialisation of production began in the late 18th century, early 19th century when the first mills were built, using flax imported into Dundee from the Baltic countries. Most of the cloth woven was ‘Osnaberg’ named after a German town, a coarse, plain linen, although finer cloth was also made.

Sources: Peter Dawson, Meg Luckins
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