Theme 4 – Animating the Landscape
‘the voice of nature loudly cried, and many a message from the skies, that something in us never dies’ – Robert Burns 1790
Bringing our cultural and historical heritage to life will provide opportunities for residents and visitors to find out more about the area. Projects will promote stewardship of the land and create new opportunities to enjoy the landscape.
Ploughing up the Past
Cumnock History Group
Ayrshire is well-known for its agricultural heritage. It also remains one of the most productive agricultural counties in Scotland, with a diversity that is unmatched in other parts of the country. Historically, farming in the county was carried out by cottars, who farmed small holdings, often as little as fifty acres or less. In the eighteenth century, the agricultural revolution saw many estates reallocate their lands, merging numerous small farms into larger units, and introducing enclosures, formed by planting hedges or building stone dikes.
Agriculture has passed through a difficult time, with the reduction of the number of dairy farmers, a drop in sale prices for livestock and products, and the transference of land near the towns for housing and open-cast mining have all had an adverse effect.
This project aims to record the history of farming within the CCLP area. The impact of mining for coal, both deep underground and open cast, will be a particular focus.
Coalfield Communities
Landscape Partnership
The Opera House
8 John Finnie St
Kilmarnock
KA1 1DD
Telephone: (not available – working from home at the moment)
01563 503 276
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