Fee Donald Mine

Overview

One of five historic lead mines in the Strontian district of Ardnamurchan, opened in 1727 and worked intermittently until 1871, today a Scheduled Monument recognised as one of only two well-preserved lead workings surviving from the district.

History

Fee Donald Mine was opened in 1727, two years after Sir Alexander Murray's original discovery of galena in the hills around Strontian led him to open a mine there in 1725. It was one of five distinct lead mines that the village of Strontian supported at various times from the 18th century onward -- Corrantee, Middleshop, Fee Donald, Bellsgrove and Whitesmith -- with mining activity in the district reaching its peak around 1730, when hundreds of workers were employed extracting lead, silver and zinc. Fee Donald was worked intermittently across a 144-year life, finally closing in 1871. The scheduled monument area covers an irregular site approximately 900 metres by 450 metres at its widest points, comprising abandoned underground shafts, levels and open-cast grooves, together with surface remains including masonry buildings and a large ore-processing area with a water-wheel pit, crushing and dressing floors, spoil heaps and washing floors. Historic Environment Scotland recognises it as one of only two well-preserved lead workings surviving from the historic Strontian mining district, valued for the excellent survival of its underground workings in their abandoned state.

Geology

Lead in the Strontian ground of Ardnamurchan, worked by shafts, levels and open-cast grooves; the vein is not named on the record.

Workings

Underground shafts, levels and open-cast grooves, with a substantial surface ore-processing complex including a water-wheel pit, crushing and dressing floors, spoil heaps and washing floors.

Closure

Worked intermittently across a 144-year life before closing finally in 1871.

What remains

A Scheduled Monument, with underground workings surviving in a well-preserved abandoned state alongside masonry surface buildings.

Masonry buildings and a large processing area including a water-wheel pit, crushing and dressing floors, spoil heaps and washing floors.

Recorded claims

Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.

• Fee Donald was opened in 1727, two years after Sir Alexander Murray's 1725 discovery of galena at Strontian, and was one of five distinct lead mines the village supported -- Corrantee, Middleshop, Fee Donald, Bellsgrove and Whitesmith. ¹
• The scheduled monument covers an irregular area approximately 900 metres by 450 metres, comprising abandoned shafts, levels and open-cast grooves alongside a surface ore-processing complex including a water-wheel pit, crushing and dressing floors, spoil heaps and washing floors. ²
• Fee Donald was worked intermittently until its final closure in 1871, and is recognised today as one of only two well-preserved lead workings surviving from the historic Strontian mining district. ²

Photographs & further reading

Sources

1. (secondary) Fee Donald Mine [1] - Scottish Cave and Mine Database — Grampian Speleological Group
2. (primary) Fee Donald Lead Mine, Allt Feith Dhomhnuill, Sunart (SM5623) — Historic Environment Scotland

Record created: 30 August 2026 · Last researched: 31 August 2026