It’s been more than ten years since Preston Mill was reimagined as Lallybroch Mill for a standout moment in the first season of Outlander, but that wasn't the only time our mill has graced the screen.
In the 1980s, the mill was showcased among various properties managed by the National Trust for Scotland when STV filmed their series Held in Trust here. This included a memorable site visit from presenter Diana Rigg and an impressive helicopter shot that took viewers from the mill to the nearby Phantassie Doocot.
In the early 2000s, scenes from a German film titled Shades of Love, inspired by a book by Rosamund Pilcher, were shot at the mill. The film features a mix of British and German actors and was released in both languages.
During the Outlander shoot in 2013, we dammed the mill lade to raise the water level, allowing one of the protagonists, Jamie Fraser (played by Scottish actor Sam Heughan), to hide underwater from the redcoats. While heavy rain can sometimes cause the water to rise to that level or even higher, it flows so swiftly that anyone attempting repairs could be swept down the Tyne to Belhaven Bay!
More recently, a BBC adaptation of Agatha Christie’s Murder is Easy filmed some scenes in the mill lade, where one of the characters meets a watery fate. As the hero investigates, he finds himself in danger. It was fascinating to see the mill transformed to represent a 1950s setting, especially since it was still in operation until 1959.
Who knows what our next starring role will be?!
