Dairy

In the 1800s some areas in south-west Scotland had grown famous for their dairy produce, especially the butter from towns like Stewarton and Dunlop. In the later decades of that century dairy production increased sharply. A new crop-rotation system meant that there was now a lot of land lying under grass for much of the time which led to increased amounts of land for grazing. This, coupled with the cropping of hay, proved an incredible boost to meat and dairy production.
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In an attempt to boost productivity, a few local landowners in Ayrshire brought Dutch cattle into the area from England and bred them with the local breed, which resulted in beasts which were noted for their milk yield and proved so popular that they spread across Ayrshire and into Dumfries and Galloway and other adjacent counties within a few years. Originally known as Dunlop or Cunninghame cattle they were eventually to be called Ayrshire cattle and now meet the needs of dairy farmers throughout the British Isles and further afield. Thanks to this new breed of dairy cattle the town of Dunlop in North Ayrshire became internationally renowned for its cheese. 

The cheese grew popular at the markets which had sprung up by the beginning of the 19th century, and soon south-west Scotland was famous for its cheese throughout Great Britain. A dairy association was created in 1884 for the purpose of improving cheese manufacture. Ayrshire farms also escaped much of the hardships faced by farms elsewhere in Britain by specialising, with most concentrating solely on dairy production. Most cheese production in the area mirrored the Dunlop process but after a while some copied a process of cheese-making from Cheshire. Eventually most manufacturers made a type of cheese similar to that from the area surrounding Bath. This became known as Ayrshire Cheddar. In 1889 a school for dairying was set up at  Kilmarnock which was later to become the Dairy School for Scotland. 

During the 20th century several changes occurred. Oats which had been the main crop and staple ingredient of the region's diet in past centuries were being grown less and less which left far more free land for cattle grazing. The production of cheese was replaced largely with dairy farms now concentrating on the production of liquid milk and cream.

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Black Iron Cowbell
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Group of Dairy Workers
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Female Dairy Worker with Milk Churns
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Souvenir Book - The Opening of Witchknowe Creamery, Kilmarnock
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Kilmaurs Dairy Association Truck
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Barrel churn
This four quart capacity, hand operated churn was used to process milk into butter at the farm dairy
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Sandhead Creamery milk bottle cap
J & M Bells, originally a farm dairy, purchased Sandhead Creamery in the early 1970s for the pro
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End over end barrel churn
Manufactured by Waide & Sons Ltd in Leeds, this model of barrel churn was distributed in the Str
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Cast iron cheese press
This cheese press would have been for small scale cheesemaking during the late 19th century.  Cheese
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Dairy sieve
Dairy sieve manufactured by John Gray at his Prize Dairy Implement Works, Stranraer.  John Gray was
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Curd agitator or breaker
This paddle-like tool was used to break up the cheese curds in a vat during cheese-making.  It was u
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Half pint milk measure
Prior to the introduction of the milk bottle, the milkman would travel door to door with milk churns
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Wigtownshire Creamery Company jar
Cream jars used by the Wigtownshire Creamery Company were manufactured by the Caledonian Pottery Com
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Kinhilt Dairy milk bottle
Kinhilt was a farm dairy at Lochans, near Stranraer.  They provided a delivery service in Stranraer
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John Ewing & Son Dairies milk bottle
John Ewing & Son Dairies was sited in South Strand Street, Stranraer.  The dairy worked in conju
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Milk bottle rack
These bottle racks held 6 bottles of milk and were used by milkmen throughout Galloway when deliveri
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Milk scoop
Ladle type milk scoop used in the dairy whenever milk needed to be transferred from one container to
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Milk churn barrow
Porters barrow specially designed with a concave back to support and assist in the moving of the 10
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Dipstick measure
Measure manufactured by Thomas Macavoy who opened his own dairy utensil works in Stranraer in 1905,
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Hand Operated Butter Churn
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Wigtownshire Creamery Co. Cream Jar
cream jars such as this were commonly used throughout Scotland and England and have became quite col
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The Scottish Dairy School
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Ayrshire Cheddar Cheese
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Sunkap Orange Juice Botttle
Some dairys bottled and distributed orange juice as well as milk.  This Sunkap Orange Juice Bottle c
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Milk Bottles from Wheatrig Dairy
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Milk Bottle Tops
These cardboard bottle tops are inscribed with the logo of Kilmaurs Dairy Farmers Ltd.
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Cheese iron
The cheese iron was used to test the cheese.  It was pressed against the cheese and pushed firmly in
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Milk sieve
Metal milk sieve with handle on either side.  A fine mesh is held in place at the bottom of the siev
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milking stool
In Wigtownshire during the 19th to mid 20th century cows were milked twice a day by hand.  The dairy
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metal milk pail or 'luggie'
Metal milk pail with a flat handle at back rim.   Known locally as a 'luggie', these metal milking p
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milk can
Cylindrical can with lid and loop handle.  Used for the collection of small quantities of milk, prin
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The Dairy School for Scotland
The Dairy School for Scotland opened in 1904 at Holmes Farm, Kilmarnock.
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Cheese Press
This cheese press was used in the village of Kilmaurs.
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Milk Maid's Bonnet
Bonnet of the type worn by female agricultural and dairy workers throughout south west Scotland.  Wh
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Cheese tester
Three cheese testers, used at the Department of Dairy Technology, West of Scotland Agricultural Coll
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Wooden butter stamp
Wooden butter stamp, hand carved with the fleur de lys decoration.
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Wooden butter hands
Pair of butter hands, also called Scotch hands, used for patting and shaping butter.
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Galloway cream jar
Cream jar from the Galloway Creamery Co Ltd, Stranraer.
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Medal awarded for sweet cheese
Medal awarded by the Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland to John McClew for sweet milk che
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Floating dairy thermometer
Two dairy thermometers used in the cheesemaking process.
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Crumb scrapers
No post-war Scottish kitchen was complete without a set of elegant plastic crumb scrapers. This pair
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British Dairy Farmers' Association Dairy Show Second Prize label
Second Prize label awarded for cheddar cheese production in Wigtownshire.
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British Dairy Farmers' Association Dairy Show Prize label
First Prize label awarded for cheddar cheese production in Wigtownshire.
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British Dairy Farmers' Association Dairy Show First Prize label
First Prize label for cheddar cheese production in Wigtownshire.
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Nameplate from a churn or crate
Oval nameplate from a Scottish Co-operative Wholesale Society creamery churn or crate.  It is made o
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Cheesemaking medal
Silver medal issued by the Scottish Co-operative Wholesale Society (SCWS) Bladnoch Creamery.  It was
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Milk Bottles from Stevenson's Dairy Farms
These pint milk bottles are from Stevensons' Dairy Farms in Cumnock. The company traded from 1936-20
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Milk Bottles from Gilmour's Dairy
3 pint milk bottles from Gilmour's Dairy in Newmilns.
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Milk Bottles
1/2 pint milk bottles from High Street Diary, Mauchline, Wheatrig Farm, Kilmaurs and Elvinside Dairy
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Milk Bottles from J. Brown and Sons
A 1 pint and a 1/2 pint milk bottle from J. Brown and Sons of Mosshead, Mauchline.
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Planting Seedlings - Spring 1986
Artist Nigel Davison spent a short period in Ayrshire in the 1980s. The cottage which he occupied wa
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