A VISIT TO LEDARD FARM

On a recent holiday in the Trossachs, I joined in a historical visit to Ledard Farm, on the shores of Loch Ard. Ledard Farm means ‘The High Farm’. Loch Ard means ‘The High Lake’, and Trossachs means ‘crossing’; in this case crossing the rift which divides the Lowlands from the Highlands. On the high ground, now woodland, there used to be sheep and goats, and on the lower slopes beef cattle as it is not arable land. Nowadays they would need 60-70 head of cattle and 2000 sheep to be viable. It is still a working farm and they have 300 sheep and a few goats. All the work, including lambing and shearing is done on site, indoors. So they have diversified into tourism by organising historical farm tours and converting some barns into self catering accommodation and providing livery stables. People bring their own horses on holiday and enjoy the many good hacking trails in the area. Farm records go back to 1474, so it has seen a lot of history and has connections with the legendary Rob Roy McGregor, whose father farmed there.

For Gregor Wood’s introductory talk, we foregathered in the 1604 barn, still with the original stone floor and two foot thick walls. Then we moved into the original 1474 farmhouse, a longhouse where the family lived at one end and the animals at the other. This would have been smelly but meant warmth, food and survival in the long cold winters. They also brought the animals in at night because they did not want their livelihood stolen by the rievers. It was built by cruck construction and stumps of two of the original tree trunks are still in place. The roof was of local bracken thatch. However in the 18^th century, when many landlords thought that sheep would be more profitable than farm tenants, they turned out the tenants. These ‘Highland Clearances’ were often brutally carried out and tenants given an hour to collect their belongings and be out, so as they left they burned the house down. The building is now roofed in Aberfoyle slate, but they  hope to raise the money to have it re-thatched.

Next was the 1604 clan meeting room, which had also been used for storing barley brought from Stirling and ground on site - outside were the large flat millstones which would have been pulled by a horse. After a wee dram all round, Gregor demonstrated the weaponry hung around the walls. The claymore, a two handed sword in height up to a man’s nose, had a good reach but was heavy and left the user’s body vulnerable so was superseded by a very sharp smaller sword with a protective cover for the hilt which also had a sharp point useful for thumping one’s opponent. The left hand could hold a small circular shield, to protect the body, which could also hide a sharp dagger. The English used long muskets with bayonets but the time taken to reload (producing such phrases as ‘A flash in the pan’ and ‘Shooting oneself in the foot’) made them vulnerable. The Scots’ anti-cavalry weapon was a long axe with a hook on one end to catch the horse’s reins and bring it down while the sharp axe did for the rider.

Finally Gregor demonstrated the original kilt, a piece of tartan cloth about 6ft by 8ft, pleated in the middle and belted round, showing how it was an all-purpose all-weather garment, and the hood used for many purposes. He also illuminated the history of the enmity between Highlanders and Lowlanders, which there is not space for here. Sir Walter Scott stayed at Ledard farm while writing ‘The Lady of the Lake’. His Waverley novels, although romanticised, do tell the story. And if you are ever go to the Trossachs, a visit to Ledard Farm is a must.

For more information have a look on the internet at - www.greattimescotland.co.uk/hosts.html