Brodieshill was once part of the Brodie Estate and was sold off, probably to assist with running costs of their immediate land and castle/home. It causes great confusion with deliveries as Brodie is 6 miles west of here but gives you an idea of how much land made up part of these vast estates.
My husband Robert’s grandparents purchased the farm in 1960’s following a move down from Caithness in 1947 when they initially rented the farm. Fruit and vegetables from the garden, along with eggs, were sold locally and the road up from the A96 was a dirt track. Due to the nature of farming, during some months of the year the only income was for the sale of eggs.
Cash book records show the occasional purchase of a horse (£49) which was used to work on the fields, we have unearthed a few shoes from these lovely big horses over the years. Moving forward with the times, a Massey Fergusson tractor was bought for £341 in 1948. There are also outgoings for ‘Casual Labour- Potatoes’ during October, the Scottish Tattie Holidays! 6 Gallons of petrol cost 12 shillings 6 pence, (£43.23 in present times).
My husband is the 3rd generation of Mansons to farm at Brodieshill and we have an information board displayed in our shed to let you know what is happening on the farm.
Below is a copy of a map drawn in 1746, supplied to the farm in 1964 from Brodie of Lethan:
