"A stilly hamlet that vies with any earthly paradise"

Category

Library Item

Item no

10169

Title

"A stilly hamlet that vies with any earthly paradise" [Swanston Village]

Description

A farmer feeds his Blackface and English Downland sheep near the village of Swanston. There are many sheep in the field, behind them we can see a cluster of small whitewashed cottages. There are people standing beside the buildings.

Artist / maker

Patrick, James

Date

1907

Size

26.5 x 33.4 cm

Type

Photograph

Location

Edinburgh and Scottish Collection

This image was taken after mid-summer as some of the sheep have been clipped (ewes on left) and this is usually done in the 2nd week in July. It is not clear why the sheep are being fed (rather than just grazing) perhaps they have been brought in off the hill and are being fattened for the market. They appear to be a mixture of Blackface and English Downland sheep (possibly Oxfords) which were popular for cross-breeding in Mid and East Lothian.

Robert Louis Stevenson's family rented Swanston Cottage as a holiday retreat between 1867 and 1880. The village of Swanston grew up around Swanston Farm and originally consisted of ten thatched cottages. These included Swanston Cottage which was built in 1761. The thatched cottages were renovated in the 1960s and the site has further been developed to include a range of leisure facilities.

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Related subjects

Agriculture and fisheries > Landscape > Fields

Animals > Mammals > Sheep

Homes > Residential buildings > Cottages

People > Agriculture and fisheries > Farmers

Places > Edinburgh areas > Fairmilehead

Places > Scotland > Edinburgh

Plants > Trees > Trees