Salt Windmill

A structure once neck-deep in the Scottish Salt Industry, The Salt Windmill of St Monans is most definitely a clear reminder of the industry that once occupied this corner of the East Neuk coastline.

The now defunct windmill serves as a coastwatch station for the RNLI (Royal National Lifeboat Institution), who are responsible for the saviour of many lives and situations at sea up and down the country.

In the past, the Salt Industry in St Monans was one of two main industrial feats the village lived off, (the other being the Fishing Industry.) Salt Water from the Firth of Forth would be pumped into the Salt Pans at the shore, where fine, organic St Monans Seasalt was seperated from the water. This process could take hours at a time, and depended totally on working conditions and the weather. A main source of power for the Salt Pans came from the rotation of the Windmill sails, and if the wind was not up, salt was not always produced. More about the St Monans Salt Pans can be found in another of our mini-visits, named 'Salt Pans', back on the 'Tour the Village' screen.

The Salt Industry in St Monans came to a halt in the 1820's, as taxes were taking over the country, and processes like salt extraction from the St Monans Windmill were just not feasable anymore. The Industrial Revolution was to begin within the next 20 years, and other options had to be considered. The village then went on to thrive from fishing, as more piers were constructed, and fishing profits boomed in the harbour area, as many years of careful mineral extraction were left in the dust to die.

However, the year 2019 saw the village's change in heart towards the production of salt. The East Neuk Salt Company, founded by Darren Peattie, came to life with a vision, and that vision was to regenerate the salt industry in the local area once again. With a positive outlook on organic seasalt from the Forth, the East Neuk Salt Company has already begun to drum up business in many different places, and continues to strive for the inclusion of the trade in the village.

After a series of well-executed promotional videos by the company, and some well-recieved community action, the village took to the ideas that the East Neuk Salt Company treasures so well, and now, a plan is in place to hopefully see the restoration of one of the village's nine Salt Pans, making way for a historical centre regarding the industry. This will not only bring village heritage back to life, but will also allow for more tourism, and profit in the village.

Look out the window!

The views offered from all angles of the Windmill windows make an excellent watch-tower for the RNLI, as a perfect view of the Forth is right in front of the structure. As well as this, visitors can enter the Windmill for viewing periods, (subject to local COVID-19 measures, this is not always guaranteed.)

Opening hours can be found at this link: https://www.onfife.com/venues/st-monans-windmill#opening-hours .

Of course, the Salt Windmill cannot withstand every gust that comes its way, and unfortunately, a recent storm damaged its sails. This was, however, dealt with, and hopefully will not happen again anytime soon. The Windmill is a treasured emblem of the village, alongside many other landmarks, and would be absolutely awful to lose.

Watch here to see the restoration process of the Windmill, taken by Different Video.

It is hoped that as much preservation work to the structure as possible can be completed in the near future to make the Windmill last virtually as long as we like. Of course, coastal erosion may pose a threat to the Windmill, so it is important that conservational groups have an idea in mind of how the Windmill will be protected from these future dangers.

There is no doubt whatsoever that like its counterparts in the village, the Windmill is also a photographic gem, as well as a museum for the mind and eyes. It can be captured from many different points of view at all hours of the day, as shown by Rian Walker in his photo of the Windmill. It makes for great silhouette shots as its sails are visible alongside its body against the warm-toned light.