Kelpie Lead Mine, West Highlands, February 2011

Kelpie mine is a lead mine but zinc, silver and baryte have also been extracted. It is still in use as a quarry today.

Visited with Lost and V70.


DSC_3967 by RichardB5, on Flickr

The first interesting find was this Haulamatic truck, almost identical to the one in the 1974 Observer's book.


DSC_3969 by RichardB5, on Flickr

The quarry hole contains a number of cars, some of which appear to have been subjected to the Italian Job treatment. There is also a large adit in the hole, but we didn't venture inside on this occasion.


DSC_3995 by RichardB5, on Flickr

There was another adit up top, which we did venture into.


DSC_4007 by RichardB5, on Flickr

There were two branches, one of which led to this.


DSC_4014 by RichardB5, on Flickr

The other side of the wooden wall, viewed from underneath. I think it was an attempt to brace the crack and prevent it from collapsing. I didn't hang around here too long...


DSC_4012 by RichardB5, on Flickr

The end of the mine.

More here.

This one was a real unplanned surprise, I saw it, and many other mines, marked on an OS explorer map pinned to the dining room wall of the hostel we stayed in.


IMGP7775 by zenithfivenine, on Flickr


IMGP7751 by zenithfivenine, on Flickr

The quarry has all kinds of rusty tat improving the view


IMGP7765 by zenithfivenine, on Flickr


IMGP7767 by zenithfivenine, on Flickr

Unexplored adit - tantalising


IMGP7794 by zenithfivenine, on Flickr

You can't see all of the smaller mine above without splashing through the water, it's about a foot deep in places


IMGP7805 by zenithfivenine, on Flickr

To the left is the flooded tunnel with the chasm and collapse photographed by Richard at the end, to the right goes uphill to a concrete platform which might have been a base for winding gear


IMGP7806edit by zenithfivenine, on Flickr


IMGP7792 by zenithfivenine, on Flickr

Quite safe. Beyond this is a small collapse and decomposing wooden supports, the foosty smell worried me but V70's oxygen meter reading 20.2 (20.9 outside, anything under 18 = see you later) was a reassurance.

It's difficult to work out when this mine closed, it looks long disused in bits but I found some modern(ish) orange hi-vis near the end


IMGP7797 by zenithfivenine, on Flickr

Looks quite splashy with all that water.

Aye, I had to share my waterproof boots, but apparently they aren't waterproof over the tongue.

wicked guys get your waders out and see how far it goes

tommo said:

wicked guys get your waders out and see how far it goes

Click to expand...

We did . It splits in two again, one branch ends up at that braced crack and the other ends at the last picture in my post.

Nice looking mine. Looks like an interesting explore...love the pics of the collapse.
I take it that there wasn't much to see topside, apart from the vehicles.
Cheers Ricard & Lost.

Foxylady said:

I take it that there wasn't much to see topside, apart from the vehicles.

Click to expand...

What more do you want?

There was a small mobile crusher in the yard but that was about it. I'm not sure where the active area was, there might be more plant there.

The crusher is in the middle of this picture, you might need to select a larger view to see it.


DSC_4027 by RichardB5, on Flickr

RichardB said:

What more do you want?

Click to expand...

Big ass conveyors, huge crushers, hoppers, loading bays and the whole enchalada, of course!