Historic Scotland is set to launch a new visitor attraction at the water mill complex on the River Tay near Perth.

The £4m project – supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund – will transform the Bell Mill and part of the Mid Mill into an interactive experience aimed at families.

A combination of exhibits, displays, images and historical artefacts will tell the story of the mills and explore the broader themes of power, people, place and products.

Visitors will be able to try out scale-model water wheels to harness the power of rushing water, discover if they would have been nimble enough to work on the machines and see if they weigh more than a large bag of cotton.

Guests will also be able find out what it was like to be a mill owner or one of the nimble-fingered children who once operated the great machines and even hear the voices of former workers talking about their lives at the mills.

Old carding machines, restored to working standard, will be on show and visitors will be able to find out what went on in The Secret Room.

The centre will also give a sense of the noise, heat and smell of life on the factory floor as the machines churned out products, like webbing, for export throughout the British Empire.

Work on site has already begun and the attraction is due to open in April 2008.

Jim Broughton, Historic Scotland’s interpretation manager, said: “Stanley Mills are a wonderful part of Scotland’s heritage and we want to create a visitor centre which will be a fun and informative way to find out about them and the people who spent their working lives there. The buildings date back to 1786 and operated for 200 years before finally closing in the 1980s.

“We have been working with local people and outside organisations to ensure that these wonderful buildings have a vibrant future at the very heart of the community.”

Elsewhere, Historic Scotland has introduced new displays at Doune Castle in Stirlingshire to make information about its past more accessible to visitors.

Visitors can now learn about the history of the late 14th century castle from illustrative panels which vividly tell the tale of the medieval stronghold built by Robert Stewart.

In addition, key stories in the castle’s history are now symbolised by a table of objects, which include the seal of Robert Stewart; a dirk representing the violent and treacherous nature of Scottish medieval politics; the Stewart family tree; a carved lion’s head – an example of the long tradition at Doune of conservation and restoration works – and a movie clapperboard relating to the castle’s use as a location for various TV and film productions including Monty Python’s Quest for the Holy Grail. Details: www.historic-scotland.gov.uk