A FEAT of Georgian engineering constructed to power a cotton mill is to be restored to its former glory and turned into a tourist attraction. The network of reservoirs and a weir in the Ayrshire village of Catrine, built in 1787, was once the largest power scheme in the world. However, the entire structure has started to deteriorate, with sections of the weir at risk of being washed down the river.

The Heritage Lottery Fund will announce today that it is giving £660,000 towards a £4 million project to revamp the feature, which is designated as a scheduled monument. It consists of a weir, five reservoirs known as the Catrine Voes, a sluice gate and a fish pass.

The system is an integral part of the history of Catrine, which began life in 1787 when Claude Alexander and David Dale, from New Lanark, saw the potential of the natural resources and built a water-powered cotton mill there. The village was laid out with the industrial buildings forming the centrepiece of the main square, and houses built for the workers. It is a substantially intact example of Georgian “town planning” and an outstanding conservation area with 51 listed structures.