Dipping into the Past

Wool production and spinning wheel

The walled garden at the Kirbuster Farm Museum

Quite a few of the museums on Orkney are closed during the winter months. We were eagerly awaiting the re-opening of the Kirbuster Farm Museum and were amongst the first visitors during March. We weren't disapponted.

Kirbuster Farm Museum is an example of a 'fire house'. A house where there is no chimney. Instead there is a fire in the middle of the room and a hole in the roof. I have to say, the kitchen was lovely and cosy on the cold blustery day on which we visited, but it was rather smokey. Apparently the house was lived in until the 1960's.

It's a wonderful place to visit - having lots to see both in the house and in the barns and gardens around it. We'll definately be going again during the summer months, though I suspect we won't have the place to ourselves then. I suppose it is a sign of our age that the Biker Man and I kept on pointing out things we remember from our childhood, mainly because our parents, grandparents and aunts had some of the things we saw at Kirbuster Farm in their houses and outhouses. There wasn't the 'clear out' mentality that we have nowadays and things, once they came into the house, stayed around for years. Tins of Coleman's mustard do have a habit of being on pantry shelves for decades. Being interested in a simpler life, it was lovely to be able to see the tools people used when there was no electricity available to make life easier.