Looking for some interesting sites to explore off the beaten path, I visited the Balmoral Grist Mill in Tatamagouche.  Finding this tucked away place was a bit difficult and the unfinished roads are a challenge for a large touring motorcycle.   Gravel and Harley-Davidsons do not mix well.

The mill was built in 1874 and is powered by a water turbine.  It operates today just as it did in the 19th century.  Although the mill is no longer grinding commercially, it is used to demonstrate grinding of wheat in to flour, rolled oats and buckwheat.   In 19th century Canada, small scale mills were common and often served as a meeting place and centres of local commerce.

This mill remained in commercial operation until 1954.  By that time, the water turbine was replaced by a gasoline engine.  In May 1966 the Nova Scotia Government purchased the Balmoral Grist Mill and began an extensive restoration program.  Today it operates a musuem and is also a provincial park.