Peat Cutting

Peat Cutting in the area

Traditionally peat has been used for warmth and cooking for hundreds of years.

Click on the each image to view its original size:

There are three main tools used to do this. The first tool to be used is the flaughter spade which is used to cut away the fibrous, mossy top to the peat bank.

Flaughter

Once the top layer has been removed, cuts are made along the bank using the rutter, this determines the thickness of the peat to be cut.

Rutter

Lastly the tusker was put into action. The person using this tool would bear down with all his weight to actually cut the peat, he would then twist the tool to remove it from the bank and allow the thrower to throw the peat back onto the top of the bank for stacking and drying.

Tusker

The peats were left where they were thrown for a few days until they were dry enough not to flop over, then they would be stacked into rows and left to dry for 3 or 4 weeks. The rows of drying peats are known as storrows and when the weather was particularly bad for drying they would be remade into astorrows which were larger than storrows.

Peat Field

Peat Stack

Printer-friendly version

You may also be interested in -

Rhian Guest House - Rooms
Cosy rooms are tastefully decorated, with hospitality tray, hairdryer, alarm clock radio and either an en-suite shower or private bathroom. The guest lounges offer panoramic views of Ben Loyal, one has a television and peat/log fire (in the winter months) whilst the conservatory lounge is centrally heated with no television so that you may enjoy the peace and quiet.
Caithness Flag Stone
Caithness Flag has been used in Caithness since early Neolithic times, mainly as a building material. Nowadays it is sent all over the world. Caithness flag is also renowned for the fossils that are found in it!
How to find Whaligoe Steps
Whaligoe steps are notoriously hard to find so follow the directions below and you will be fine!

Whaligoe is a small natural harbour in use at the peak of the herring fishing era. When the boats arrived with the herring, local women would go and carry the herring back up the steps in baskets balanced on their heads.

There are supposed to be 365 steps, one for each day of the year.
Dirlot Castle, Halkirk - Caithness
Keep going past Westerdale Mill, follow the road to the old sand quarry and turn off into it, go on through the quarry - do not stop in the quarry as there are dangerous pools and disused buildings here! When you reach the farm at the end, find a good place to park and walk toward the cemetery.
Craggan Accommodation and Lounge
The Craggan Accommodation
Rhu Corrie, Sutherland
Shore dive if you are prepared to climb the steep boggy slope, else launch at Portskerra slip.

From the shore circumnavigate the stack in an anti-clockwise direction, you will find an 18 m gully leading to room sized cave with exit in the roof, then go west to drop into west side gully.
Caithness and Sutherland
The boggy half of Caithness and Sutherland is known as the Flow Country (from the Old Norse word Floi meaning marshy ground). If you were to dig down about 7 metres you would touch peat that is 7000 years old.The two areas of Caithness and Sutherland form Scotland's northern wilderness.