National Museum of Rural Life facts for kids
 |
|
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
| Former name | Museum of Scottish Country Life |
|---|---|
| Established | 2001 |
| Location | Wester Kittochside Farm |
The National Museum of Rural Life is a fantastic place to learn about farming and country life in Scotland. It used to be called the Museum of Scottish Country Life. You can find it at Wester Kittochside Farm, located between East Kilbride and Carmunnock near Glasgow. National Museums Scotland runs this amazing museum.
How the Museum Started
This museum opened in 2001. It cost over £9 million to build! Many groups worked together to make it happen. These included the National Museums of Scotland and the National Trust for Scotland. Other partners were the Heritage Lottery Fund and the European Regional Development Fund. South Lanarkshire Council and Scottish Natural Heritage also helped. Plus, many private people gave money.
The National Museum of Rural Life continued the work of an older museum. That one was called the Scottish Agricultural Museum. It started in 1949 and was located near Edinburgh.
The new museum has a huge visitor center. It's about 50,000 square feet! You can also explore the old Georgian buildings of Wester Kittochside Farm. The fields and hedges around the farm are full of different plants and animals. There's also a large area for special events.
The Reids: Farmers of Kittochside
The farm covers about 110 acres. In 1992, Mrs. Margaret Reid gave the farm to the National Trust for Scotland. She had run the farm for many years with her husband, James. He was the last of ten generations of the Reid family. The Reids were known as the "Lairds of Kittochside." They farmed this land for over 400 years, from 1567 to 1992.
Originally, John Reid was a tenant farmer. He bought the lands of Kittochside in 1567. He bought them from Robert Mure of Caldwell. Mure later tried to take the land back by force. He even burned down Kittochside! The case went to court in 1600. Robert Mure was jailed for six months. He also had to pay John Reid a large fine. After that, the Reids were free to build up their farm.
The Reids were important during the "Covenanting troubles." They fought against the king at the Battle of Bothwell Brig in 1679. During the battle, the Kilbryd Parish Flag was captured. James Reid bravely fought to get it back. He ripped it off its pole and wrapped it around himself! His brother, John, was captured. He was almost sent away as a slave. Luckily, the Duke of Hamilton helped him. John was jailed for about six years. He later returned to manage Wester Kittochside Farm.
The Laird's House: A Historic Home
The beautiful Georgian house was built between 1782 and 1784. It cost about £45, which was a lot of money back then! It looked like a small country mansion. An addition was built in 1906. This changed the inside layout. Electricity was added in the 1950s. Before that, people used oil lamps and candles. The inside of the house still looks like it did in the 1950s.
Some of the buildings have round decorations on their roof ends. These are called finials. They were a popular style at the time. A finial could also act as a lightning rod. Some people even believed they kept witches from landing on the roof! A witch flying in would see the finial and have to land somewhere else.
Both the house and farm are on an open hilltop. Tall trees protect them from the wind and weather. A very old Sycamore or Plane tree stands out among them.
Exploring Wester Kittochside Farm
Farm Buildings: A Look Back in Time
The main farm buildings were built by John Reid between 1782 and 1784. The north building stands on older foundations. These might have been from a 17th-century longhouse. The small cow shed was updated in the 1800s and early 1900s. The corn barn still has its threshing floor. Farmers used a flail by hand to separate grain here. Later, a horse-powered machine was used around 1820-1840. This was replaced in 1860 by a new threshing mill. By 1870, even newer machines made this mill less useful.
The sixth laird was involved in quarrying and burning limestone. This meant he needed a stable for three horses. The farm buildings changed over the years. A large Dutch barn was built in 1949. The farm stopped dairy farming in 1980. It then raised beef cattle until 1992. That's when the National Trust for Scotland took over.
The Horse Engine: Powering the Farm
The farm has a very rare "horse mill" or "gin." It has been carefully dug up and fixed. Now it works again! This machine was used to power other farm equipment. For example, it drove the winnowing machine in the corn barn. This machine removed the outer layer from grain. Before horse-powered machines, farmers used a flail. A flail was a wooden pole with a smaller pole attached by a chain. Another door in the barn helped create wind. This wind separated the grain from the lighter husks.
The Bothy: A Farm Worker's Home
A "bothy" was a single room for a farm worker who wasn't married. The bothy at Wester Kittochside was used as a tack room in the early 1900s. It was used again during the Second World War. A German prisoner of war, Heinrich Luckel, lived there. He stayed in touch with the Reid family for many years after the war.
Doocot and Sheds: More Farm Features
A "doocot" or pigeon house is located above the cart shed door. Doocots were common on large country estates. Only big landowners were allowed to build them at first. Later, smaller landowners could build them too. Doocots provided meat all year round. But the pigeons would also eat farm crops! The Kittochside doocot is simple and practical. A lean-to shed for a "gig" was built in the early 1800s. A gig was a light, two-wheeled cart pulled by one horse.
Stathels: Keeping Hay Dry
Wester Kittochside has two "stathels." Both were made in Edinburgh. A stathel is like a metal version of staddle stones. It has an upper wooden frame. These rare structures are still used today. They hold up stacks of hay or grain. This keeps the material dry and aired out. It also keeps rats and mice away. The pests can't climb up the legs and over the mushroom-shaped tops!
Whin Stone: Animal Feed Grinder
In the farmyard, you'll see a large oval sandstone object. It has metal parts on its middle. This was a "whin stone." It was used to crush gorse or "whin" in a shallow trough. A horse would drag the stone back and forth. This made the spiny plant soft enough for animals to eat. It was usually only used when other food was scarce.
Field Names: A Glimpse into History
The farm map from 1858 has interesting field names. These names tell us about the farm's history. Some names are Buchans, Long Croft, Short Croft, and Greenlawford. The meaning of these names is explained in the Laird's House. There's a special room there about the Reid family and their farm.
Slip Gate: An Old Way to Close a Field
Sandstone "slip gate" posts are at the entrance to the Buchans field. These gates had L-shaped grooves on one side. The other post had a matching curve. Wooden bars could be slid across to make a gate. These gates didn't need hinges! You can still find them in the countryside sometimes. But usually, they've been changed to hold modern metal gates.
Rig and Furrow: Ancient Farm Marks
The "rig and furrow" marks in the Buchans field are very well preserved. This is because heavy farm machines were rarely used there. These marks show how farmers used to grow crops. They would build up earth in the middle of a long strip of land. Drains or furrows were on either side. This was how fields were plowed until the 1600s. After that, new farming methods and machinery changed things.
Archaeology: Digging Up the Past
In September 2005, 50 volunteers helped with an archaeology project. They walked across a field near the farm. They looked for old objects. Most of the things found were from the 1800s. These included pottery, glass, and clay pipes. They also found beads, buttons, and even lead toy soldiers! Some older medieval pottery and flint were also found. Many of these items likely came from waste spread on the farm fields.
Exhibition Building and Collections
The Exhibition Building was designed by Page\Park Architects. It was built between 1998 and 2001. Its design looks like a modern barn. It has large sliding doors and wood-covered walls. Part of one side looks open to the ground. This reminds you of old barns and sheds.
The museum focuses on three main ideas: land, tools, and people. Many items came from the old museum at Ingliston. Others came from a working farm. Some were donated or bought specially. The displays show how people lived and worked the land long ago. They also show how this shaped the countryside we see today. The museum also has items about farming folklore. This includes a special "cup marked" stone and a collection of charms.
You can see exhibitions about farm tools, clothing, toys, and musical instruments. There are also household items. Some important machines include the reaping machine invented by Patrick Bell. This is the oldest one still existing! There's also the earliest iron plough, invented by James Small. The museum has the best collection of combine harvesters in Europe. You can see them by asking for a special tour.
The High Breck of Rendall Mill is always on display. It is the oldest known threshing mill in the world!
The museum also has many small models. These show farm machinery, water wheels, and more.
Visitor Experience: A Day on the Farm
A visit to the National Museum of Rural Life lets you experience farm life. You can see what it was like on a Scottish farm in the 1950s. The farm is still working! You can see plowing, planting, haymaking, and harvesting. Guides help you understand all the farm activities.
You can take a Tractor ride to the farm. There, you'll see the special Ayrshire cattle. These cows have calves from January to March. They are milked every day at 3:00 PM. You can also see the Kittochside flock of Scottish blackface sheep. These sheep have lambs in early April.
The museum offers many activities all year. There are demonstrations of country skills. You can join workshops and guided walks. Events include a heavy horse show and a tractor show. There's also a horse shoeing competition and sheepdog trials. Other fun events are Kittochside Fair and the Halloween Party. In 2019, over 113,000 people visited the museum!
Kittochglen and Philipshill Mill
Below the Exhibition Building is a valley called Kittochglen. The Kittoch Water runs through it. This water used to power a grain mill. The mill building is no longer there, but the mill cottage still stands. You can also see the weir (a small dam) further up the valley. This mill had a cast iron wheel. This connects to the museum's collection of waterwheel patterns.
Education: Learning About the Countryside
The museum is a great place to learn about the countryside. It teaches about nature and the environment. You can learn about old and new farming methods. It also covers topics like pesticides and fertilizers. The museum focuses on the long history of farming in Scotland. It also shares stories of people who lived and worked in the countryside.
See also
- Dalgarven Mill
- Staddle stones
- Dunlop cheese
- List of Category A listed buildings in South Lanarkshire
- List of listed buildings in East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire
|
