Moirlanich unlocked – farm life

The farm at Moirlanich was never very large. As well as growing food for themselves, at various times the Robertsons also raised cattle, sheep and horses for sale. Everybody in the household played their part, whether tending the animals and crops, making butter and cheese, or working in the house. Relatives or paid labourers were sometimes brought in to help out.

Johnny Strattan, Tom Proctor and John Robertson are pictured in the early 1940s taking a moment to relax outside Moirlanich Longhouse. The men were cousins and farmed together at Moirlanich for many years.

Johnny Strattan was a joiner by trade and worked in Killin. He lived with the Robertsons, sleeping in the bothy across the lane from the house but taking his meals with the family. Tom Proctor was the last person to live in Moirlanich Longhouse. In his later years he too slept in the bothy across the lane because he feared the main house would catch fire. He left Moirlanich in 1968.

The life of a smallholder was a precarious one, influenced as much by fate as by the Scottish weather. In 1910 tragedy struck at Moirlanich when the wooden animal byre caught fire. Fortunately the byre was across the lane so the house was untouched, but the loss of so many animals must have been a severe blow. After the fire the byre was replaced by a tin shed which was later used to house cattle.

Moirlanich Longhouse was part of a busy farming community in Glen Lochay. There were other houses just like it, along with their agricultural buildings, clustered throughout the valley. Moirlanich Longhouse was found in a small settlement of tenant farms called Easter Moirlanich. Further along the valley was Wester Moirlanich. Most of the buildings that formed these settlements have long since crumbled, leaving only small remains in the landscape. Moirlanich Longhouse itself, although thought to date from the early 19th century, may well have been built over the site of an older dwelling. Positioned with its face to the sun and side on to the prevailing wind, it’s in an ideal location in the landscape.

Moirlanich Longhouse appears isolated now but during the Robertsons’ time, within and beyond the glen, families and neighbours supported one another and made regular social visits. More varied entertainment could be easily reached in nearby Killin, which also provided a range of shops and local services. The Robertsons made seasonal journeys further afield to attend agricultural gatherings, such as the Aberfeldy Show, where a prize could help to push up the auction price when the animals went to be sold.

The experience of growing up and living in Glen Lochay is remembered fondly by those who experienced it. Pat MacNab helped out on the farm at Moirlanich during the summer of 1928 when Tom Proctor broke his leg:

That was me, five o’clock in the morning, an’ I was away, an’ away – yoke the horse, an’ got them fed. Well, then the lambin’ went on – I had a great lambing altogether. So what we did after the lambin’, the singles, we drew out, shed – that’s parted – all the singles and took them wi’ their mothers … and walked them to Killin, an’ put them on the train at Killin. And I went with them, and the dog, to Stirling, in the wagon – just stayed in the wagon, oh yes on my own – I wasn’t quite sixteen – fifteen and a half. And then when we got to Stirling, I drove them up to Speedie’s market, and they were sold there. And after I finished the lambin’ they said, would I not stay and do the ploughin’. So I said “Well, aye, I could stay”.’

Look out for the next article in the Moirlanich unlocked series and discover more stories about life in this remarkable little house.