A Farming Life
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In 2003, pupils from Killin, Kenmore and Glenlyon Primary Schools visited local historic sites plus the Historic Landscape excavation. They also undertook a small excavation themselves.
| In May 2003, Killin Primary School pupils visited Moirlanich Longhouse
and one of the shieling sites in the Ben Lawers area. The study day was
led by two education officers from The National Trust for Scotland. Within the theme of A Farming Life, pupils learnt about the family that had once lived and farmed at Moirlanich (up to the mid 20th century), and also about the farming system in earlier times when shielings were in use. |
Moirlanich Longhouse -- Moirlanich is a typical Highland longhouse with cottage and byre. The interior has many original features, such as the hingin' lum' and cruck roof. The pupils tried on costumes, looked at objects and were shown round the cottage and byre. They undertook activities that illustrated a child's life in the past. |
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Pupils Walking to the Shieling Site -- Careful preparations were taken beforehand and a safety checklist ensured that pupils and adults were properly equipped. One of the education officers held a Summer Mountain Leader's Certificate. Shieling |
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| The remains of shielings can be seen all over the Highlands. The term has several definitions - a hut or rude shelter (made of turf or stone), upland or outfield pasture, or both (the huts and the grazing). A shiel was a hut sited on hill pastures. The remains of smaller structures seen near the huts might be dairies or animal enclosures. Shielings were used during the summer months, mainly in the Highlands but also in some areas of south Scotland and parts of England. The practice of shieling in the Ben Lawers area had stopped by around 1840. |
Discussion Time -- On reaching the shieling site, the pupils looked at the layout of the 'village'. The shieling site consisted of the remains of several huts. They discussed the plan of action. |
Investigating Building Remains -- The pupils were divided into teams, and each team was given a house to record. They checked out its situation, located the entrance, and measured and drew the remains. They considered the interior space of their house and imagined where the beds and the fire would have been.
When the crops were growing on the farms, the women took the cows up to the shielings to graze on fresh pasture. The women and children lived in the small huts, and made butter and cheese. The men repaired the huts each spring then stayed on the farms to mind the crops; they visited their families occasionally to bring and take away provisions. It was generally felt to be a happy time for the children who could play together on the hillside.
Roleplay -- After Lunch the pupils discussed who might have lived at the shieling site and what they did each day. They returned to their own house and adopted the roles of a family from the past. The pupils acted out the roles of the family and, from this, were able to imagine living and working on the hillside.
This is What We Learnt:
’I learned that a lot of the family lived in a shieling for six weeks while the cows were grazing.’’I learnt that they went up the hill in the summer.’
’I learned how hard it would have been in those days.’
’The bit I liked best was the role play.’
’I liked getting wet.’
’I enjoyed looking at the map.’
’The best bit was when we were acting like we were the people.’
Primary 6/7, Killin Primary School
