The National Museum of Rural Life

On the outskirts of East Kilbride, Scotland's largest and busiest new town, Wester Kittochside farm sits in a time warp. Preserved as the National Museum of Rural Life, it is still a working farm but without any of the high-tech machinery of 21st-century farming - its clock has stopped in the 1950s.

John Reid

In 1567 John Reid, the tenant of Kittochside, bought land from Robert Muir of Caldwell. Muir tried to retake the land by force some 20 years later, attacking the farm 'armed with spears, swords and other fearful wappons'. Reid was threatened, his possessions seized and his house burned. But the matter was adjudicated by the Privy Council, which found for Reid and ordered Muir to pay compensation.

'Modern' Farming Methods

The agrarian revolution to modernise and industrialise farming was enthusiastically embraced in the 1780s by Reid's descendant, another John. He transformed his arable land and his sheep grazed the moorland. New fields were laid out and enclosed, and drainage was installed to improve the ground. Reid introduced crop rotation, new crops, including turnips and grass for winter feed, and changed the stock emphasis to cattle. By the time he was finished, most of the old buildings on the farm had gone, replaced by the new steading that stands today. The Reid family continued to farm at Wester Kittochside. A dairy and barn were built in the latter half of the 19th century and a threshing mill and horse 'gin' (engine - a large wheel turned by horse power to run machinery) were installed.

Time Stands Still

In 1963 dairy production ceased and the land switched to grazing beef cattle. James Reid, the tenth generation to farm here, never carried out any improvements or modernised his farming in any way and for a period of 50 years Wester Kittochside remained completely unchanged. Reid continued to farm as his father had done and he was taught in the 1950s, so no grain driers, huge silos, slurry tanks or modern cattle units were installed.

A Lasting Legacy

James Reid and his wife had no children and gifted the farm to the National Trust for Scotland. James died in 1982 and Margaret, his wife, carried on until 1992 when she left the house, ending nearly four centuries' occupation by a single family. Since the farm opened to the public as a museum, the dairy has been reinstated and the land is farmed as it was in 1950, including the five to six shift crop rotation and grazing supporting milk cattle and working horses. Crops of grass, hay and turnips are still used for winter feed. The techniques and equipment evoke memories of a way of life that has long pased, except here at Wester Kittochside farm.

Exit the car park and turn right on to the road, heading past the front of the main Exhibition Building, then turn right through a gate on to a footpath. Continue along this to reach the farm track.

Cross the track, continue along the Museum of Rural Life Trail to pass the steading of Wester Kittochside then turn left onto a farm track to pass a house. Turn right to go through a gate, along a short path, through another gate to cross Kittochside Road. Go through a third gate and turn left onto a footpath.

At the end of the path go through a gate, turn right, through another gate and follow the track to its end. Turn left through a gate and follow the fenced footpath as it first turns right then curves up onto a small hill and through a gate to enter Coulter Wood.

Follow the well-surfaced footpath through the wood keeping right at a junction, then right again when the path forks. Exit Coulter Wood onto a minor road near its junction with the B759 Cathkin Road. Turn right. Follow this as it twists and turns to reach Highflat Farm and then continue to a T junction opposite West Rogerton Farm.

Turn right onto Cairnmuir Road and in just over 0.5 miles (800m) you will come to a crossroads. On the right a farm track leads back to Highflat. Turn left here into Wellsquarry Road. Follow this to a T junction and turn right into Carmunock Road. Keep on it to pass the farm of East Kittochside on your left.

Pass a junction on your right, continue through the Hamlet of Kittochside, pass the drive to Kittochside House and reach another T junction. Cross the road and continue along the farm track. Turn left back onto the Museum of Rural Life Trail to return to the car park.