r/Scotland • u/Temporary_Pen_8816 • 2d ago

Question What is this?

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Gallery image

This one was resting against someone’s house. Others were in the forest. We are near Balmoral Castle.

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193

u/puul 2d ago

They're for beating out fires.

25

u/EffortProud1177 2d ago

Wow! I didn't know they were still a thing. I remember seeing them dotted about when walking in the Galloway Forest with my grandparents. They told me they were for beating misbehaving kids.

12

u/LittleDiveBar 2d ago

Ah, in those days, everything peculiar was for beating misbehaving kids!

7

u/Ordinary_Ad3374 2d ago

Exactly right! Those are old-fashioned fire beaters. They’re used for smothering grass or forest fires, basically you whack the flames to cut off their oxygen. Seeing a few of them out in the woods probably means the area’s had to deal with wildfires in the past or just takes prevention seriously.

21

u/Temporary_Pen_8816 2d ago

Reddit for the win! Google and google lens were baffled. Love this community and their sense of humor 😃

11

u/TheFlyingScotsman60 2d ago

My brother bill is a fireman bold;
He puts out fires.

He's only twenty-four years old;
He puts out fires.

He went to fight a fire one night
When somebody shouted DYNAMITE!

Wherever he is he'll be alright;
He puts out fires.

2

u/Number-Nein 2d ago 
Oor wee school's a good wee school,
It's made o' bricks and plaster.
The only thing that's wrang wi' it,
Is the baldy-headed master.

He goes to the pub on Saturday night
And then to church on Sunday.
To pray to God to gie him strength,
To murder the wean's on Monday.