The Girnoc Farms
Past Research
Location Map
Gordon Tombstones
Sources
Gordons o' Girnoc
Tarbrax by the high road tae Forfar
Donald Mcpherson far fae Bovagli�s hamely braes.
Black bothies left ahind, aiver speerited in saicret. Aye!
Girnoc garrons twinty each - wi� ankers twa abreast:
the toonkeeper wimmen left oot.
Speerits heich (tcaach �.fit a tirravee!)
Loshtie aye, dwam fou!
The-gaither, time-servin� smugglers:
Donald Mcpherson � oor seerious scoondrel;
James Gordon - aiver richteous;
an� John Gall - oonprencipilt mebbe,
yet surely mair of a dweem than a dwam:
loshtie aye!
Donald Mcpherson befuskert high on baith chaffs,
aye rugged cheekit � bricht red oondernaith.
Jorum at the ready the-gaither wi the Gordons: James an� Peter
�. an nae doot, yit mair of that inextricable tribe!
Aye nae doot!
James Gordon an Abergeeldie loon - of sorts!!
Gamekeeper to David Gordon, Esquire of Abergeeldie.
Friend of genteelity maybe but
naiver to be mizzered in mainners:
Loshtie nae!
John Gall grand-maister o� the bothies,
brither tae the Girnoc.
Sundoon at his Tarbrax sheilin -
a saicret tryst oonder yonder roddin-tree.
Feckless wi� a fleerish:
Loshtie aye!
Twa gaugers biding their time,
hodden in-by the Tarbrex Tollbar:
Mr Tawse an� Mr Rose, aiver-sae wullin in the law.
1824: Excisemen noo wi� clout!
Aye Parliament had seen to that!
Dragoon guards hauled-in at the ready:
At the ready �oh loshtie aye!
Anither Gordon caa�d Peter, a Camlet loon,
rode auld �yella,� sae many hans in hicht -
a strappin horse speeshal tae the Girnoc:
wi braith snortin� ready,
yet his maister, Peter wis grippet wi� doot.
Aye grippet.
The others,
�to the number of nine or mair�
shared that nervishness -
but plied theirsels� wi� ther ain coontraband:
aye, fou an fleein� tae loosen that fear!
Bit not oor Donald, fa he wis high-heedit,
an seemingly baithered by nout -
not aiven a fearsom rainstorm risen michty faist
wid brak his smugglers course!
Michty me he wis blin tae danger �
Michty aye!
Through the spleeter of weet,
an jist ootside the Tollbar,
Tawse an� Rose, officers aff the Excise,
wi' their troop aff �Dragoon Guards�
withoot warning, made tae apprehend -
but in-turn were veeshusly attacked themsels.
Veeshusly aye!
Donald McPherson �threatened tae
�blow ther brains oot if they laid violent hands upon them�
an to run auld Tawse-the-Excise
�throo the body wi� a pitch fork�
by noo Donald wis joined by the Gordons who a� the-gaither
started to throw �large stanes�
at roon-shoodert an� wrunkelt Rose.
Aye nae sympathy wis extended
tae the hunchie-bacit an� fastidious Rose
All this wis witnessed by a young loon
James Gordon age 6 years
His faither Peter, picked him up
an in a flash young James escaped on �yella�
back to the Gordons � bit not tae the Girnoc
fa� that wisnae safe.
Michty No.
Sorrafu� an wi� ther tails atween ther legs,
brocht them tae Kincardine o� Neil -
in the stable Inn -
�130 gallons of illicit distilled spirits� wir stacked up high
an horses wer� at the ready for a second pairty �.
ye can imagine can�t ye � loshtie aye:
for they �were at the time takin� refreshment.�
Takin refreshment � michty aye.
fit a stramash!
Aye stramash an� styterin fou!
An noo The Excise stepped fore:
an all were caught din-raisin.
Shamed Donald McPherson tak flit tae Angus
he never returned tae the Girnoc.
Soon aifter the Girnoc emptied like a quaich!
Ye see ther wis no choice in changin times.
Fitprints aff shame,
an the end of a way of life.
Aye:
Din-raisin wi� Donald.
Loshtie Aye!!