September 27, Carmichael Farms

Well, a lot has happened since we last wrote on our blog. This is yesterdays blog entry as we have no internet again.

Reluctantly, we left Burnbrae and Thairn Cottage. It was a mistake not to book longer but hindsight is so good. We are booked into another self catering place between Biggar and Lanark. The news says Pebbles main street is flooded and Andromeda has routed us through Pebbles. The road we took through the town is quite a bit higher than the river and we didn’t see any flooding. It sure looked bad on the news though. We arrived in Biggar in time for lunch. We walked around town and couldn’t decided on a place to eat but did find the book store that is talked about in the guide book. We had lunch at the cafe/bakery next door, stopped briefly in the book store and were on our way to Carmichael.

Amazing! Andromeda found Carmichael farm. Mary at the visitor centre/grocery said it was too early to check in so we decided to go to New Lanark though it was a bit late in the day to start touring the site. It turned out that you buy your ticket and have it stamped at each place you visit.

Linda at New Lanark School

We toured until 3:30 and returned to Carmichael for 4:00 so we could get checked in and oriented. Good thing we were there in time. The directions Mary gave us were confusing. Down the road, turn in at the Estate Gates, with the eagles, first turn on the right. Ha! Fortunately the maintenance man, Darren was there and offered to guide us. Doubt we’d have found Laundry Cottage on our own.

　

To go back to New Lanark . New Lanark is and was a cotton mill. Robert Owen felt that workers had rights and deserved a more comfortable life than most experience. He built a utopian type of town for the workers. They had a medical plan (1/60^th of their wages went to it, day care, schooling a store that sold high quality goods and charged less than the stores in the nearest town, they got one day off a week. The children didn’t go to work until they were twelve and were in school until then. They worked 10 ½ hours and had two meals during the working day. Families had an apartment to live in though they might be crowded. There was work for everyone.

New Lanark and River Clyde

Roy and I thoroughly enjoyed everything we saw. They have a ride - you get in a Ferris wheel type car and as it goes along you learn about the workers lives in the town and mill through a guide, Annie McLeod, a young girl who works in the mill. It was great! The work was hard and Mr. Owen is fair but demands that you work hard.

The Clyde River supplies the water for the mill which I will let Roy talk about.

Corra Linn Falls River Clyde

….Back at Laundry Cottage, Darren has guided us to the cottage and comes to the door with us. On the way to the cottage, I said to Roy, “he is the Duncan of the Carmichael Estate, just like Duncan at Glen boggle (Monarch of the Glen). He is just as enthusiastic an full of energy. We didn’t have coal and wood for our fire so he went back and got us some. I am unable to get the wi/fi so he becomes the IT man and attempts to get it going. The phone line is down. He will report it to the boss as there is nothing he can do. Now we have a huge bag of coal and an equally large bag of wood. For free (18 pound value). Sure hope the power doesn’t go out.

　

The cottage, as the 15 other the rent out are 200 to 300 years old. We are feeling more and more like we are in the Monarch of the Glen show. The cottage is old, with thick walls. Will insert pictures later when we can get this on the blog.

We purchased groceries at Galashields but they would have had provisions from the farm here for us if we needed them. We had a frozen pizza in the oven when there came a knock at the door. It is Andrew Carmichael. His father is the Carmichael clan chief. He inherited the estate (1000’s of acres) when Andrew was 4 and moved the family here from New Zealand. Andrew (the Archie of M of the Glen) is young and good looking. They are doing everything they can do to keep things going . They farm, have cows, sheep, pigs and deer. They sell their meat at the store at the visitor centre and at Saturday markets. He is at our door at 5:30 to say that he is sorry about the internet and will get the phone company on it but doubts anything will happen quickly. The stags are rutting and the sounds they make are quite eerie. Pete has made the sound for the girls and he is bang on.

We crawl into bed early. Staying on estates in centuries old cottages is tiring.