Mill of Kintail Conservation Area and the Auld Kirk Cemetery
This article is a stub of a larger article. For more information see Almonte.
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Auld Kirk Cemetery
While exiting Almonte to the west to turn onto the roadway north towards the Mill of Kintail, you will come an well manicured cemetery at the intersection. This is the Auld Kirk, an ancient Scottish burial ground dates back from 1834.
When inside the beautiful black painted gates you will see that the tombs south of the Kirk all line up neatly like a typical cemetary.
Around the building itself you will find a cluster of graves directly adjoining the building.
The kirk itself dates from 1836 and albeit simple is rather impressice. The Gothic Revival structure was often used by the locals of Beckwith Township. It belonged to the church of Scotland but the Presbyterians also called it home and was used until the first reverant of the Kirk, John Fairbairn, passed. From there one the building has hardly been used.
If you have a chance to peer in you can see how simple the decor is. A true pioneer chapel!
Mill of Kintail Conservation Area
After wrapping up at the Kirk, just north and you will find the conservation area. Parking is limited so get here early! From the park a network of pathways will take you to the mill and ravine
On you way you will find a recreated village including an outdoor chapel
The mill itself adjoins the Indian River, a stream that spills into the larger Mississippi. The short hike hike along the ravine of this river offers view of the old mill is very picturesque.
The mill is a great companion to your exploration of Almonte as it contains the R. Tait Mackenzie Museum, dedicated to this artist and his work as well and the Naismith Museum dedicated to Almonte’s most recognizable man James Naismith. You will find the old millstone nearby. One thing that jumped out to me was the detailing put into this mill, it is absolutely stunning!
It was constructed in 1830 by a Scottish pioneer named John Baird and restored in 1930 by Robert Taft McKenzie a man of repute in the Canadian medical field.
A set of trails runs around the property, including the the 2.9km forest hike trail (blue on your conservation area map). This trail leads to the Fred P. Lossing Observatory.
One of the coolest things for me was seeing an anchor left beside the mill. Curious I read the ledger which indicated that it was used on the lumber drives that brought the lumber down from up the Ottawa River all the way down to Quebec city. The lumber was turned into massive rafts and when they got stuck the anchors and manual strength were used to push the raft forward.
