The Powder Mills of Argyll

Abstract

Through the use of documentary sources the author traces the development of the charcoal producing industry in Argyll and its use both for iron smelting and for the production of black powder during the Crimean War. The Melfort gunpowder works are studied in detail and the hazardous nature of black powder production is demonstrated by the explosion record. The industrial archaeology at Melfort is described in an appendix by Alan Crocker.