The Sawmill is situated beside the Kirkdale Burn. The burn runs from beyond the prehistoric standing stones at Cairn Holy to the sea at Ravenshall near Dirk Hatterick's cave, which features in Sir Walter Scott's novel Guy Mannering.

Kirkdale Glen is crossed by three bridges, the oldest being the stone bridge just below the mill which was built in the Middle Ages.

Where the cars are parked by the bollards is an eighteenth century bridge designed by Robert Adam, which was later widened to take traffic on the A75.

The present trunk road crosses Kirkdale burn over a concrete culvert, through which there is a run for otters to prevent them being killed by traffic as they try to follow the burn up Kirkdale Glen from the sea.