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Farm Information
Balliefurth (Baile phuirt in Gaelic), means homestead of the port or ferry. Referring to the ferry which ran for several centuries across the River Spey at Boat of Balliefurth to the rallying place of the clan Grant, allowing the people of Abernethy access to the courts and fairs and clan occasions at Ballintomb. The ferry ceased to operate around 1920.
It has been an important place since at least medieval times (7th to 12th century) when the area was referred to as the Davoch of Balliefurth. The present Farmhouse was rebuilt in the autumn of 1848 at the expense of £110 to contractors and with the addition of £140 materials, by the farmer of the time a Peter Grant. Only a little of the original farm steading survives as it was pulled down and replaced in 1961.

This is split from the upper level of the farm by a disused railway, which operated from 1863 until in 1968 it fell to the Beeching closure programme. In 1962/63 Balliefurth was one of only two Farm Halts in Scotland where you could flag the train down.
The farm is 420 acres of mixed grassland, wetland, mixed woodland and a small amount of arable crops. The famous River Spey forms the boundary on the western side. The lower lying half of the farm forms part of the original Spey floodplain now partly protected by flood banks erected in the mid 1800's. This area is an internationally important site for breeding wading birds, i.e. Lapwing, Curlew, Snipe, Oyster catcher, and Redshank.Traditional shorthorn cross beef cattle and highland mule ewes make up the livestock which graze extensively on the clover and herb rich grass pastures.
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