Agriculture on Arran

Despite the attempts of the Arran estate to increase productivity throughout the 19th century, most of Arran’s farms remain relatively small to this day. In the North of the island, granite sand is common, so the largest farms are in the Southend or the Shiskine valley, where the best loam is found. When the old run-rig system ended, some of the new farmers divided their arable land into fields by fencing, some grew thorn hedges and others built the dry stane dykes that can still be seen. Hedging was easier, but it had the disadvantage that until it was substantial enough to be stock-proof, animals had to be tethered to avoid straying. Only six farms were big enough to incur a rent of £100 a year or more. Eleven paid between £40-£100, thirty paid less than £40, but the vast majority paid only of £20.

The construction of the roads that cross the island were needed when horses and larger wagons came into use. An elderly inhabitant of the Island recorded that in his lifetime, he’d seen big changes. Around 1820 when he was young, there were little or no road system on Arran, and no wheeled carts. The usual pony was a small breed, six or seven of them being used to pull a wooden plough. The produce of the fields was transported in creels slung over the pony backs or trailed on a wooden sledge. Often, working the fields was a family affair, with the man controlling the plough handles, women leading the ponies and children driving them. ‘Today in 1880,’ he said, ‘conditions can better be explained by the improved wage structure of the farms.’ By then, dairymaids received between £8.00 and £12.00 for 6 months, with board. Ploughmen were paid £12 to £15.00 for 6 months with board, but they were often expected to work 10 to 12 hour days, six days a week, starting from 6.00 a.m. At harvest time casual labourers (some men but mainly women) received 2 shillings and sixpence to four shillings per day, but had to bring their own food. During the planting of potatoes or turnip thinning the same workers received one shilling to one shilling and sixpence per day. Shepherds were engaged on an annual basis of £40.00. In addition, they had a free house, an allowance for coal or supply of peat, grazing for up to 2 cows and an area planted with potatoes – which goes to show how highly valued sheep had become.

Apart from the new roads, the main thing that made a big difference to island life was the construction of piers to serve steamer traffic. The original Brodick Pier was built in 1872. Lamlash Pier followed in 1884 and Lochranza four years later in 1888. Whiting Bay got its pier in 1899. The paddle steamers ran a daily service of one return journey and changed the lifestyle of the residents, enabling them to think about the mainland as reasonably accessible.
Lamlash was considered to be the leading village then, with a branch of one of the Scottish Banks (probably the Clydesdale) located at Seafield. It had been built around 1770 on a 99 year lease from Arran Estates, for the Croil family. The metal safety bars on a window were still there in the 1960s, but the site of the window has now been bricked up. There was a branch of the bank in Brodick but only open 2 days per week, whereas the Lamlash bank opened every day. The village also contained the Coastguard station [Marine House].

Clyde paddle steamers called at Corrie, Brodick, Lamlash, Kings Cross and Whiting Bay on the island’s east coast and Lochranza, Pirnmill, Machrie, and Blackwaterfoot on the West, en route to Cambeltown. With no piers there, small local rowing boats were used to ferry passengers and goods ashore. The influx of holidaymakers began to have a big influence  on the Arran scene. New buildings were put up to provide hospitality and the standard of accommodation that visitors expected. Local and sporting events were laid on. Some holidaymakers brought sports gear with them and expected to be able to practise their chosen pastimes, which led to the first 9-hole golf course being formed at Lamlash in 1889. Mr James Allan, formerly of Balnacoole, had broken new land at the Clauchlands Farm Lamlash and increased it to some 260 acres, and he also leased Blairmore Farm and agreed to release part of the arable land to form the golf course.

The tourist view of Arran people was expressed by one visitor, slightly condescendingly: ‘The Islanders are a quiet, inoffensive race, many live for the maximum life span. Churches and schools are evident throughout the Island and altogether the Islanders register few complaints.’

Perhaps the same is true today.

This is the final episode in Jim’s series on the history of Arran’s agriculture, and we are most grateful to him for contributing it. Happily, he is now researching some of the background to Arran’s unique geology, and we look forward to publishing a further series of articles.