Sandymount Lime Kilns

#294 Do - Explore the old lime kilns at Sandymount on the Otago Peninsula. Built in 1865 by a Scottish stonemason, James McDonald, the kiln below the road is just a short walk down the hill through a sheep paddock and quite a bit of thistle! Lime was extracted from a hill nearby, and burnt in the kiln to be made into a mortar for brick and stone construction (before cement). The kilns are considered to be the oldest surviving lime kilns in New Zealand, and the stonework is impressive. And the drive to Sandymount Road via Highcliff Road is one of my favourite scenic routes.