Much confusion between this wee mine in the pictures known as Airthrey Silver Mine and the much larger Airthrey Hill Mine a few km west at Bridge of Allan. Both were on land owned by Haldane of Airthrey. The Bridge of Allan one was operating well before a local mining boom in the mid-1700's when Haldane opened this small one. There was no Airthrey Copper Mine although that was the main product of Airthrey Hill Mine. The Airthrey Silver Mine adit in the photo opens on to Logie Burn and 25m upstream are the remains of a dam possibly for driving a small stamp mill opposite the adit opening where there's a heap of gravel sized stones. It only ran for about 3yrs closing as unprofitable. Some 50 barrels of ore were reportedly consigned to a London agent who is believed to have gone bust. Quite what was being mined here is unclear. The numerous calcite veins show no sign of native silver only sparse galena and even sparser pyrite. Maybe the galena contains a silver percentage to explain the mine's name but proper assay would be needed.

J A Smith ([email protected])

Photograph:

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