Perthshire's Rural Past - Bothy Life

In the past single men employed in farming, forestry and fishing often lived bothies. These were normally single-roomed buildings where three or four men slept, ate and socialised together. An open fire provided warmth and cooking facilities; mealtimes were basic affairs with porridge for breakfast and lunch, followed by a more substantial evening meal of eggs, potatoes or meat. The working days were long and hard, often beginning at five in the morning, but the evenings offered time for socialising and music-making, many men being accomplished fiddlers, mouth organists, accordionists, or singers. In this short film, farm-workers, Stewart Swann from Muirton and Jim Ogg from Methven describe their early years living in traditional stone-built farm bothies. Tom Logie from Errol describes life in the salmon fishing bothies which were once a common site along the River Tay. And John Cameron from Perth, describes wooden bothies which were built to accommodate large numbers of forestry workers who found employment across the Highlands in the post-war years. Stewart Swan sings excerpts from traditional bothy ballads, The Plooman and All True Lovers.