Audio interviews
Interviews conducted in 2021 with older members of the farming community on their memories and experiences of farming in Ayrshire, Scotland.
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Jim Smith farms Skerrington Mill, Cumnock
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From a family of dairy farmers at Townhead, Little Heateth and Darnlaw in Auchinleck.
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Wilson Morton was born at Low Carston in Ochiltree and attended Glaisnock Rural School for farmers’ sons. He farmed at Auchinbay.
The sound quality is not great ln this episode as it was recorded outside.
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Wilson talks about milk recorders, milking, over wintering sheep, the benefits of keeping cows inside all year, hay and silage, his wife kept hens, water consumption of cattle, the agricultural discussion club, illnesses. His son David Morton now runs Auchinbay.
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Morag Gordon (née Shankland) grew up in Avisyard farm, Old Cumnock. She worked as a milk recorder in the 1960s.
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Gregor was born on Auchingee farm at New Cumnock. He works for the Scottish Government in Agriculture. 2021
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Anne works as a milk recorder
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William Watson and his mother Jean Watson
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Russell McNab farmed Garlaff in Old Cumnock.
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Robert Stevenson of Stevensons Dairy Farms talks of their 151 years at Changue farm and changes over the years
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Ian Howat was brought up at Farden farm , New Cumnock. He has been at Laglaff since 1976.
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Robert talks about life at Borland Mill, Cumnock
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Jean tells about her childhood at Craigdarroch farm in New Cumnock where her father John Todd was a shepherd. She works as a milk recorder.
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Anne and Hugh talk about farms their family was connected with – Loganhill, Barshare, Skerrington, Borland, Craigens, Dickston, and Rottenyard, the size of the farms and the types of farms.Their grandfather bought Loganhill Farm in 1938 and their father’s move into Skerrington Farm. They explain that the tenants prior to the McLanachans were the Dicksons who supplied milk to the houses in Cumnock.
Cumnock History Group are a constituted Voluntary Group who share an interest in the history and heritage of Cumnock and how the past has influenced the present.
The group emerged as a result of the Memory Bank workshops for Raising the Bar – the archaeological dig focused on the site of the old Tup Inn on Lugar Street earlier this year and run by archaeologists from Northlight Heritage
