WEST RINMORE FARM

West Rinmore through the trees

WEST RINMORE is on the east side of the Kindie Burn and is now a complete ruin.  One can still make out the house behind the steadings, but it is roofless and most of the walls have tumbled into the landscape.  There is a small eyeless window situated just beneath the one remaining chimney.  It is a sad sight to witness. The steading  in front fares slightly better,  much more of the walls remain and there is a portion of corrugated roof clinging on tightly.  Unfortunately, West Rinmore is gradually returning to the land.

The farm was a home of the Reids through the generations, the eldest son usually farming at East Rinmore, therefore a younger son or brother farming here. Gordon Reid (my great-grandfather) brought his bride Jane Gauld Grant here after their wedding in 1870. It was here that Jane produced 9 children over the next 17 years, dying rather mysteriously on 3rd January 1888 of pyoemia or as we know it now - septicemia, which she had contracted three day's previously, this would have been New Year's Eve.  I have no more information than that and unfortunately no one left to ask!  It was also here  that Mary Jane, their eldest daughter lost her battle for life four years later on June 25th 1894, dying of acute rheumatic endocarditis aged only 20.They are buried together, mother and daughter, in the old Kirk of Glenbuchat.

Looking around the glen, life would have been very hard for the families. In 1851 the farm had 25 acres, but by 1881 the acreage had grown to 87 of which 46 was arable and two servants were employed.

In 1895 after the tragic early death of Mary Jane, Gordon moved his family to Shannoch on the Breda Estate some 15 miles to the east, situated  in the fertile Howe of Alford, where The Reid family continued farming  for a further two generations until the 1970s.

After great grandfather Gordon left West Rinmore, the lease was taken by his nephew Robert Reid, 2nd son of his oldest brother Peter.  Robert farmed here until 1909.  Looking at the census returns, although Robert is named as tenant, the house is inhabited by William  Ness, employed as a 'horseman' at Rinmore and his family, whilst Robert continues to live at East Rinmore where he is named as an employer; one has to assume that the acreage of both farms was thus combined,  making a pretty sizable spread.

The lease finally passed to James Black, who farmed here until at least 1922 when my information unfortunately ends.  Looking at the state of the farm, I would think that the Blacks moved out some time in the 1920s.

The steadings in front with farmhouse just seen behind trees

The view from the farm

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