Wester Kittochside Farm

Hidden amongst the rolling hills between Glasgow and East Kilbride lies Wester Kittochside Farm, a place where time seems to stand still. It’s not just a farm; it’s a living museum, the National Museum of Rural Life. Wester Kittochside Farm offers a glimpse into Scotland’s agricultural past. The farm was originally home to the Reid family. They were lairds of Kittochside for ten generations, from 1567 to 1992. The current Georgian farmhouse, built between 1782 and 1784, stands as a testament to their legacy. Its classical design, complete with ball finials, evokes a sense of timeless elegance. Inside, the rooms remain much as they were in the 1950s, offering a window into a bygone era. Wester Kittochside Farm is a working farm, even today. Visitors can witness traditional farming practices and interact with the resident animals, including Ayrshire cattle and Scottish Blackface sheep. The farm buildings, dating back to the same period as the farmhouse, tell their own stories. The north range, for instance, sits upon the foundations of a 17th-century longhouse. The corn barn still possesses its original threshing floor. Imagine the rhythmic swoosh of the flail, once wielded by hand, replaced first by a horse-powered mill and later by traveling mills. Wester Kittochside Farm holds more than just farming history. During World War II, German POWs, including Heinrich Lückel, found themselves working the land here. Lückel, a farmer’s son, resided in the farm’s bothy and later shared it with another POW, Walter Kühn. They shared meals with James Reid and developed a lasting connection with the family, even returning for visits years later. Wester Kittochside Farm is also home to a rare surviving “horse mill,” or gin, used to power farm machinery like the winnowing machine in the corn barn. Even the field names, preserved on an 1858 farm map, offer a glimpse into the past. Names like Buchans, Long Croft, and Queyspark whisper stories of a bygone era. As you explore Wester Kittochside Farm, take a moment to appreciate the well-preserved rig and furrow marks in the Buchans field. These are remnants of a time before enclosure, when the land was cultivated in long strips. Wester Kittochside Farm is a testament to the enduring spirit of rural Scotland. It’s a place where the past comes alive, offering a poignant reminder of the traditions and lives that shaped the Scottish countryside.