diff --git a/Code/Mantid/Framework/WorkflowAlgorithms/inc/MantidWorkflowAlgorithms/MuonLoad.h b/Code/Mantid/Framework/WorkflowAlgorithms/inc/MantidWorkflowAlgorithms/MuonLoad.h
index 4a33a215abe1..4daa9498cb64 100644
--- a/Code/Mantid/Framework/WorkflowAlgorithms/inc/MantidWorkflowAlgorithms/MuonLoad.h
+++ b/Code/Mantid/Framework/WorkflowAlgorithms/inc/MantidWorkflowAlgorithms/MuonLoad.h
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ namespace Mantid
 {
 namespace WorkflowAlgorithms
 {
+  using namespace Kernel;
+  using namespace API;
 
   /** MuonLoad : loads Muon workspace ready for analysis. 
     
@@ -46,7 +48,11 @@ namespace WorkflowAlgorithms
     void init();
     void exec();
 
+    /// Returns a workspace for the first period as specified using FirstPeriod property.
+    MatrixWorkspace_sptr getFirstPeriodWS(WorkspaceGroup_sptr ws);
 
+    /// Returns a workspace for the second period as specified using SecondPeriod property.
+    MatrixWorkspace_sptr getSecondPeriodWS(WorkspaceGroup_sptr ws);
   };
 
 
diff --git a/Code/Mantid/Framework/WorkflowAlgorithms/src/MuonLoad.cpp b/Code/Mantid/Framework/WorkflowAlgorithms/src/MuonLoad.cpp
index b845cfedf0ff..d7a61c3273e1 100644
--- a/Code/Mantid/Framework/WorkflowAlgorithms/src/MuonLoad.cpp
+++ b/Code/Mantid/Framework/WorkflowAlgorithms/src/MuonLoad.cpp
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ namespace WorkflowAlgorithms
     declareProperty(new FileProperty("Filename", "", FileProperty::Load, ".nxs"),
         "The name of the Nexus file to load" );
 
-    declareProperty("FirstPeriod", EMPTY_INT(), "Group index of the first period workspace to use");
+    declareProperty("FirstPeriod", 0, "Group index of the first period workspace to use");
     declareProperty("SecondPeriod", EMPTY_INT(), "Group index of the first period workspace to use");
 
     std::vector<std::string> allowedOperations;
@@ -78,8 +78,9 @@ namespace WorkflowAlgorithms
     declareProperty(new FileProperty("CustomDeadTimeFile", "", FileProperty::OptionalLoad, ".nxs"),
         "Nexus file with custom dead time table. See LoadMuonNexus for format expected.");
 
-    declareProperty(new WorkspaceProperty<TableWorkspace>("DetectorGroupingTable","",Direction::Input), 
-        "Table with detector grouping information. See LoadMuonNexus for format expected.");
+    declareProperty(new WorkspaceProperty<TableWorkspace>("DetectorGroupingTable","",Direction::Input,
+        PropertyMode::Optional), "Table with detector grouping information."
+        " See LoadMuonNexus for format expected.");
 
     declareProperty("TimeZero", EMPTY_DBL(), "Value used for Time Zero correction.");
     declareProperty(new ArrayProperty<double>("RebinParams"),
@@ -96,7 +97,7 @@ namespace WorkflowAlgorithms
 
     declareProperty("PairFirstIndex", EMPTY_INT(), "Workspace index of the first pair group");
     declareProperty("PairSecondIndex", EMPTY_INT(), "Workspace index of the second pair group");
-    declareProperty("PairAlpha", 1.0, "Alpha value of the pair");
+    declareProperty("Alpha", 1.0, "Alpha value of the pair");
 
     declareProperty("GroupIndex", EMPTY_INT(), "Workspace index of the group");
 
@@ -110,10 +111,112 @@ namespace WorkflowAlgorithms
    */
   void MuonLoad::exec()
   {
-    // TODO Auto-generated execute stub
+    const std::string filename = getProperty("Filename");
+
+    // Load the file
+    IAlgorithm_sptr load = createChildAlgorithm("LoadMuonNexus");
+    load->setProperty("Filename", filename);
+    load->execute();
+
+    Workspace_sptr loadedWS = load->getProperty("OutputWorkspace");
+
+    MatrixWorkspace_sptr firstPeriodWS, secondPeriodWS;
+
+    // Deal with single-period workspace
+    if ( auto ws = boost::dynamic_pointer_cast<MatrixWorkspace>(loadedWS) )
+    {
+      if ( static_cast<int>( getProperty("FirstPeriod") ) != 0 )
+        throw std::invalid_argument("Single period data but first period is not 0.");
+
+      if ( static_cast<int>( getProperty("SecondPeriod") ) != EMPTY_INT() )
+        throw std::invalid_argument("Single period data but second period specified");
+
+      firstPeriodWS = ws;
+    }
+    // Deal with multi-period workspace
+    else if ( auto group = boost::dynamic_pointer_cast<WorkspaceGroup>(loadedWS) )
+    {
+      firstPeriodWS = getFirstPeriodWS(group);
+      secondPeriodWS = getSecondPeriodWS(group);
+    }
+    // Unexpected workspace type
+    else
+    {
+      throw std::runtime_error("Loaded workspace is of invalid type");
+    }
+    
+    IAlgorithm_sptr calcAssym = createChildAlgorithm("MuonCalculateAsymmetry");
+
+    // Set period workspaces
+    calcAssym->setProperty("FirstPeriodWorkspace", firstPeriodWS);
+    calcAssym->setProperty("SecondPeriodWorkspace", secondPeriodWS);
+
+    // Copy similar properties over
+    calcAssym->setProperty("PeriodOperation",
+        static_cast<std::string>( getProperty("PeriodOperation") ) );
+    calcAssym->setProperty("OutputType",
+        static_cast<std::string>( getProperty("OutputType") ) );
+    calcAssym->setProperty("PairFirstIndex",
+        static_cast<int>( getProperty("PairFirstIndex") ) );
+    calcAssym->setProperty("PairSecondIndex",
+        static_cast<int>( getProperty("PairSecondIndex") ) );
+    calcAssym->setProperty("Alpha",
+        static_cast<double>( getProperty("Alpha") ) );
+    calcAssym->setProperty("GroupIndex",
+        static_cast<int>( getProperty("GroupIndex") ) );
+
+    calcAssym->execute();
+
+    MatrixWorkspace_sptr outWS = calcAssym->getProperty("OutputWorkspace");
+    setProperty("OutputWorkspace", outWS);
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Returns a workspace for the first period as specified using FirstPeriod property.
+   * @param group :: Loaded group of workspaces to use
+   * @return Workspace for the period
+   */
+  MatrixWorkspace_sptr MuonLoad::getFirstPeriodWS(WorkspaceGroup_sptr group)
+  {
+    int firstPeriod = getProperty("FirstPeriod");  
+
+    MatrixWorkspace_sptr resultWS;
+    
+    if ( firstPeriod < 0 || firstPeriod >= static_cast<int>( group->size() ) )
+      throw std::invalid_argument("Workspace doesn't contain specified first period");
+
+    resultWS = boost::dynamic_pointer_cast<MatrixWorkspace>( group->getItem(firstPeriod) );
+
+    if ( ! resultWS )
+      throw std::invalid_argument("First period workspace is not a MatrixWorkspace");
+
+    return resultWS;
+  }
 
+  /**
+   * Returns a workspace for the second period as specified using SecondPeriod property.
+   * @param group :: Loaded group of workspaces to use
+   * @return Workspace for the period
+   */
+  MatrixWorkspace_sptr MuonLoad::getSecondPeriodWS(WorkspaceGroup_sptr group)
+  {
+    int secondPeriod = getProperty("SecondPeriod");  
+
+    MatrixWorkspace_sptr resultWS;
+
+    if ( secondPeriod != EMPTY_INT() )
+    {
+      if ( secondPeriod < 0 || secondPeriod >= static_cast<int>( group->size() ) )
+        throw std::invalid_argument("Workspace doesn't contain specified second period");
+
+      resultWS = boost::dynamic_pointer_cast<MatrixWorkspace>( group->getItem(secondPeriod) );
+
+      if ( ! resultWS )
+        throw std::invalid_argument("Second period workspace is not a MatrixWorkspace");
+    }
+
+    return resultWS;
+  }
 
 } // namespace WorkflowAlgorithms
 } // namespace Mantid