Project delivered by 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.
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