preston mill & phantassie doocot mill

The weather was gorgeous the day we visited, so besides having the guide to ourselves and thoroughly inspecting the mill, we also walked around the field, liberally dotted with red poppies, that the Doocot was in and along the river. A simple, functional mill that is routinely flooded every year. But without the water, it wouldn't work, so there it is. It is so amazing to consider that the machinery is completely dependent on water to operate, and the many ways that the hydro energy is put to use to lift and move the grain, grind it, sieve it....such ingenuity - and no electricity or carbon emissions! A beautiful spot and very interesting.

Brilliant venue fantastic food and staff absolutely amazing venue most enjoyable extra praise for all the staff who worked incredibly hard all day and night they couldn't do enough !

We really wanted to visit here but came twice and each time it was closed. If you want to visit you need to research the times that they are open carefully as it does not appear to be often. We did have a walk around the meadow which was pretty but were disappointed that we did not get to see any more.

The mill dates back to the 16th century and one of the last working mills in East Lothian. The miller would grind mainly oats plus barley & wheat. The farmers were tied to bringing their grain to a particular miller which was dictated by the landowner.My wife & I were lucky to have the guide to ourselves so we got a great tour and extremely detailed explanation of every think.Wonderful mill with a very interesting history to milling in the region.

We arrived just in time to join a small guided tour group. We saw how oatmeal was made into oat flour and all the stages were demonstrated. The staff / volunteers were all friendly and knowledgeable. The machinery and buildings are now all in good order and a visit here is an interesting experience.

Spent the afternoon here. Was shown round by one of the guides who seemed to know everything you could possibly to know about the mill. Great to walk around, work out the layout of all the cogs etc and what they did. After our tour we sat in the small garden and had a nice cream and enjoyed the sunny afternoon. After our rest we walked to Phantassie doocot about half a mile away. Took lots of photos.

Nice walks and great architecture good for a quick sunny day's adventure with the kids and the dogs.

My mom grew up in North Berwick, as a child I was lucky enough to spend a few summer holidays in this part of Scotland. We would come to Preston Mill and play around it and the fields. So, it was a real treat to get to come back to the mill. My aunt and uncle live only a few streets away, so we walked down. It hasn't really changed over the years and though it wasn't opened when we went, you can still walk around the outside and through the fields and enjoy the area. I believe if you have small children or are interested in the workings of the "old days" Preston Mill is a real must see when it's opened.

Popped in to see the mill on a cycling day round East Lothian.Very sunny day and the mill and surroundings looked perfect and very much evoke centurys past.Took the tour which was informative and interesting maybe £13 for two is a little steep but we enjoyed it.Lovely location for a walk or picnic.

Visited with our 3 young children who were fascinated by the history and the set up of this old mill. The tour guide was very good and the sounding countryside is fantastic. It took from start to finish about 1.5 hours. had we not been members I would have been disappointed paying the gate price. However the history and the restoration work done by the National Trust is excellent.

As I approached the Mill I was struck by its shape and structure. The old stone work is so solid looking and the working water wheel is the oldest in Scotland. Take a walk through the adjoining forest to understand the motion of the water which moves the wheel - beautiful and educational. Peek into the chicken house for an idea of how the birds lived and produced their fresh eggs - a bit of fun is provided via the statuary! Well worth a stop!

We really enjoyed our visit to the mill, which is fascinating and thankfully hasn't been 'tarted up'. At first I was a bit disappointed to realise that we had to have a guided tour, but in fact the lady who took us round was very good - friendly, informative, but also not too long-winded! She told us lots of things we wouldn't otherwise have known about the mill, the millers, and local life. Unsurprisingly, the mill is regularly flooded (it had been just the week before) and the water heights marked on the wall do make you think about the power of water, and how fast it can take over a building.Afterwards, we walked through the field to see the Doocot, which is an amazing building and still echoes to the sound of birds cooing.The Mill has a small gift shop and drinks machine, but it's also only 2 minutes from Smeaton Tea Room and 5 from Tyninghame Smithy, both of which do lovely food (and at both of which there are outside tables at which you can sit with your dog.)A fine afternoon out, though preferably only done in good weather! Owing to the age and nature of the mill building, disabled access beyond the ground floor may be tricky.

Loved the history and being able to see the workings of the mill. Interesting place to see and good photo opportunities.

Even though mill was closed in morning. Nice walk over to river past the doocot. Interesting stop on John Muir way

We did the organised tour with a lovely lady guide who took her time to explain all the mill workings and answer our questions which really brought it to life. It's the sort of working history everyone would enjoy. And it's in a stunning setting with peaceful walks from the mill.