The photographs which follow are reproduced courtesy of Fraser Skinner.

Baling

Then and Now

Skinner family at work on the harvest - photo 1
Old gives way to new
Harvesting in the 20th Century with traction engine JS1237 and threshing machine.

Harvesting in the 20th Century with traction engine JS1237 and threshing machine.
This photo was taken at Bog of Resolis farm in 1953, the last year the machine was used on the farm. It was a No. 3 engine, Fowler 7hp, bought in 1927 and sold in 1963. Standing beside the sacks is Willie Matheson, and Roderick Matheson is standing on the mill, with Alex Munro sitting beside him.

Stooks go through the threshing machine
Harvesting
Combining gets under way in the Black Isle
Traditional binder and modern tractor - photo 2

Traditional binder and modern tractor result in field of stooks but modern equipment provides bales square and round.

Loading square bales on a trailer
No stooks: modern equipment provides bales square and round.
But there's nothing quite like the sight of two Clydesdales at work at Daviot Vintage Working Day.

There’s nothing quite like the sight of two Clydesdales at work at Daviot Vintage Working Day.

Ploughing Match at Findon Farm

A Ploughing Match at Findon Farm prepares the ground for the following year’s crop. (Saunders Gibson checking his furrow and John Matheson doing some measuring.)

A farmers work is never done

But a farmer’s lot is not always a happy one – especially in winter!

Clearing snow in winter

View more historical agricultural photographs

We have a large variety of agricultural photos, many of which show agriculture in the later 19th and early 20th century.  Please do take time to view them as they give a real insight into the changes in agriculture.

Click on photo album to view thumbnails and then click thumbnail to see the full size images 

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