Reaching back to simpler times awaits us at the National Museum of Rural Life. This living museum offers a unique window into Scotland’s agricultural past. The National Museum of Rural Life sits on Wester Kittochside farm between East Kilbride and Glasgow.
The museum opened in 2001. It cost over nine million pounds. Several organizations partnered to make it possible. They included National Museums of Scotland and the National Trust for Scotland.
Before this, the Scottish Agricultural Museum stood at the Royal Highland Showground. The National Museum of Rural Life expanded its work. It features a visitor center and the original Wester Kittochside farm buildings. The site also includes fields and an events area.
Let’s talk about the Reid family. They were the Lairds of Kittochside. For 400 years, they farmed this land. Margaret Reid gifted the 109-acre farm to the National Trust for Scotland in 1992. Her husband James was the last of ten generations of Reids. The family’s history is quite interesting. John Reid bought the land in 1567. Robert Mure tried to reclaim it. The Privy Council of James VI intervened. Mure was jailed and fined.
During the Covenanting troubles, the Reids fought against the king. James Reid rescued the Kilbride Parish Flag at the Battle of Bothwell Brig. He wrapped it around himself while running from the enemy. His brother John was jailed for six years.
See that fine Georgian house? It was built between 1782 and 1784. It cost about 45 pounds. Electricity was installed in the 1950s replacing oil lamps. The interior remains as it was then. Notice the ball finials on the gable ends? They were believed to deter witches.
Now, consider the farm buildings. John Reid built the north and west ranges in the 1780s. The corn barn still has its threshing floor. A horse-engine powered a threshing machine here from 1820 to 1840.
The farm has a rare horse mill. It powered farm machinery. Before that, workers used a flail to separate grain. Also, Wester Kittochside had a bothy. It housed a bachelor farm servant. During World War II, a German prisoner of war lived here. His name was Heinrich Luckel.
Look above the cart shed. See the doocot? These pigeon houses were a sign of manorial privilege. Wester Kittochside also has two stathels. These supported ricks to keep material dry and free from pests.
Notice that large sandstone object? It crushed whin or gorse for animal feed. The names of the fields are a source of history. An 1858 farm map records names like Buchans and Long Croft. Also, sandstone slip gate piers mark the entry to Buchans field.
Take a closer look at the Buchans field. The rig and furrow marks are well preserved. They show how crops were grown before modern machinery. In 2005, volunteers found 19th-century artifacts here. They even discovered medieval pottery and flint.
Step inside the exhibition building designed by Page Park Architects. It reflects agricultural life. The museum’s themes are land, tools, and people. Displays show how people shaped the countryside. The museum includes folklore items too. You can see old agricultural tools and equipment. The museum also has a reaping machine invented by Patrick Bell.
The National Museum of Rural Life provides a chance to experience a 1950s Scottish farm. You can see ploughing, sowing, and harvesting. Tractor rides take visitors to see Ayrshire cattle and Scottish blackface sheep. Country skills demonstrations are also offered here.
Below the Exhibition Building is Kittochglen. The Kittoch Water once powered a grain mill here. The mill cottage still stands. The museum also explores topical issues. It focuses on the history of agriculture in Scotland. So, as we conclude our visit to the National Museum of Rural Life, I hope you gained insight into the history of farming in Scotland.