Culter Mills Paper Company

Aberdeen’s first successful paper mill opened at Culter in 1750-51 by Bartholomew Smith, a paper maker from England. Culter was also the longest served of Aberdeen’s paper mills, closing in 1981. Built to take advantage of the Culter Burn the mill prospered, providing around 60 jobs for the local community by the 1840s. Alexander Pirie of Stoneywood took over in 1865, introducing steam powered machinery and expanding the works. By the 1950s the mill employed about 600 people, mostly from Culter, and it’s closure was serious blow for the community.