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Shepherds' work in Peeblesshire.

Fieldworkers
Date 1969
Track ID 5082
Part 1

Track Information

Original Track ID

SA1969.188.A2

Original Tape ID

SA1969.188

Summary

Shepherds' work in Peeblesshire.

Andrew Gibson walked 12-15 miles a day as a herd if he had a fair-sized hirsel [flock] of about thirty score sheep. He went round them twice: the sheep lay on the high ground, where it was drier, at night, and were moved to low ground during the day, so that they didn't graze the same area all the time.

The fat stock were bought by individual butchers, as well as by the large meat buyers who came to Biggar and Symington. At the start of his herding life, in 1906, Andrew met two herds with a flock of 600 wether lambs that they had driven on foot from Heriot over Blackhope to Eddleston Station, and he took them over the Meldons and up Lyne Water and put them onto rape at Wester Happrew. After five or six weeks, those that were ready were walked fifteen miles to market at Symington.

Item Subject/Person

Gibson, Andrew

Item Location

County - Peeblesshire

Village/Place - Pentland Hills

Language

Scots

Genre

Information

Collection

SoSS

Source Type

Reel to reel

Audio Quality

Good