Penicuik, The Papermaking Town

Penicuik, The Papermaking Town

For nearly 300 years, Penicuik was known as ‘The Papermaking Town’. The social, educational, cultural and sporting character of the town was dominated by the presence, sound and smell of the mills. The era of papermaking ended with the closure of Dalmore, the last mill on the Esk, which ceased production in 2004. At the time of the closure of the mills there were approximately 1200 – 1300 people employed in the industry, in the Penicuik area. The former sites of the mills have been redeveloped and little physical evidence of them has been retained.