Botriphnie, Banffshire

A Memory of Drummuir.

Robert (Bob) and Margaret (Maggie) Urquhart, and family, occupied a croft named Drywells, at Bodinfinnoch, Parish of Botriphnie, County of Banffshire.
One of the Urquhart boys later described Drywells as: 'The most miserable croft that anyone could imagine... It was inaccessible; buried deep in the hills; surrounded by heather. The buildings were cramped and built in one long line, with sheet iron roofing. The lack of water, which had to be carted from a pump situated some quarter of a mile from the house, the encroaching peat and heather which had to be dug to supply fire for heat and cooking, the poor land which, we found, would not grow grass or decent oats, was all quite unbelievable... The family had increased and we boys huddled together scarcely more comfortable than the animals.'

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