Ballad and the Plough: Portrait of the Life of the Old Scottish Farm Towns

DAVID KERR CAMERON

ISBN 10: 0708815766 / ISBN 13: 9780708815762

Published by FUTURA PUBLICATIONS, 1979

About this Item

Ships from the UK. Former library book; may include library markings. Used book that is in clean, average condition without any missing pages.

Seller Inventory # 41200133-75

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Ballad and the Plough: Portrait of the Life of the Old Scottish Farm Towns
• Publisher: FUTURA PUBLICATIONS
• Publication Date: 1979
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0708815766
• ISBN 13: 9780708815762
• Binding: Soft cover
• Condition: Good

About this title

Synopsis

The era of the great farms of Scotland is over now. They flourished for nearly eighty years from the mid 19th century, and those years are renowned for the strength of their characters and the legendary status of their stories. Probably the finest and richest aspect of bothy life was the ballad. Often sentimental, sometimes simplistic, they nevertheless give unrivalled detail about a vanished way of life and work.Quoting generously from the ballads, David Kerr Cameron has written a book rich in anecdote and insight. The working day was hard and long, and mealtimes consisted mainly of porridge and potatoes. Yet laughter and generosity of spirit were commonplace. For these communities, horses were as important as people, and tens of thousands of noble Clydesdales helped to cultivate the land. Ploughmen, dairymaids, bailiffs and shepherds all appear in the pages of this unique testament to the Scottish countryside. Together with "Willie Gavin, Crofter Man" and "The Cornkister Days", this volume forms a remarkable trilogy on life in rural Scotland.

About the Author

David Kerr Cameron was himself born into a crofting family in the north-east of Scotland and there he experienced at first hand the last days of that harsh way of life. He worked most of his life as a journalist, including 22 years spent in London. He died in 2002.