Knockando Woolmill wins an EU Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Award.

Knockando Woolmill is one of the winners of the 2016 European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage /Europa Nostra Awards, Europe’s highest honour in the heritage field.

Knockando Woolmill is located in a remote part of Moray. It has been active and producing textiles with its original machinery since 1784 and is a living monument to an important Scottish tradition. The restoration project is notable not only for its high quality and attention to detail but also for its success in promoting rural revival in this distinctive region. “The Knockando Woolmill is special due to its continuous, unbroken production of textiles over the last 200 years. This is exceptional in Europe and the survival of this type of local production is rare”, the jury said. “Though it is a decidedly local endeavour and is linked very much to its regional identity, the Woolmill’s production of high-quality textiles to a growing global market makes it an internationally significant endeavour. Its very survival in today’s globalised world is deserving of European, if not international, recognition”, the jury added.

The Woolmill's production is active across a complex of its original buildings which houses the machinery used for each part of the textile production. In 2000, the condition of both the buildings and the machinery was critical and a major programme of repair and renewal became an absolute priority. To this end, the Knockando Woolmill Trust was established to raise funds and work towards the recuperation of the site. As the buildings were generally in an extremely fragile state, extensive research was required and complex strategies for their repair were devised to allow the original vernacular architecture to remain intact while meeting the present-day standards of health and safety.

One of the principal priorities was to provide a Craft Training Workshop to train young people in traditional crafts which may otherwise have been lost. For this purpose, a new structure was built adjacent to and in harmony with the other buildings. The byre, which formerly housed farm animals, was converted to a visitor centre, which has attracted a wider public and has helped to increase understanding of this special heritage. The jury appreciated this aspect of the project commenting that “the community involvement, the generation of new employment opportunities and the attraction of visitors to this relatively remote region is a wonderful example of rural revitalisation and of what can be done in comparable locations throughout Europe”.

A Spokesperson for the Woolmill said:

We all knew it was a special project and it is fantastic that it has received such widespread acclaim.

Alyn Smith MEP said:

“The jury was absolutely stunned by Knockando, and I can see why!

“For instance, the byre was transformed into a visitor centre, which has done wonders for attracting folk and teaching them about the Woolmill’s heritage. Thanks to a combination of community involvement, employment opportunities, and bringing visitors flocking to a fairly remote region, Knockando is a superb example of rural revitalisation and how we can use EU funds to do the same throughout Scotland.”

Richard Lochhead Candidate for Moray also added:

“I’m delighted to see Knockando win this award. The Woolmill is a real example of local revival, having produced world-class textiles continuously for 200 years and now training young people in traditional crafts that might otherwise be lost.

“Knockando Woolmill, which is an outstanding local asset, is steeped in local history, and the heritage experts rightly highlighted it as being deserving of European, if not international, recognition."