09/09/2020
W. E. Scorgie & Son’s History:
Agricultural Engineers, Inventors and Pioneers. Design Development and Manufacture of Hydraulic Operated Sprayers; Spray Booms; Front Tanks; Root Crop Cutters; Stone Separators and Disc Ridgers etc.
The family run business was founded in 1967 when the family moved to Balrownie as the late William E Scorgie saw his big breakthrough at the Smiddy which provided the opportunity for him to make his dream machines a reality. ‘Auld’ Wull was a self taught agricultural engineer whose inventions helped revolutionise farming practices, who also had a pioneering spirit which battled against fixed farming attitudes and built up a successful family agricultural engineering business that has won national recognition. He always strived to make farming more efficient and achieved this as one of his greatest achievements was the stone separation process. A situation where he battled for many years against attitudes, desperately trying to persuade farmers that just a little time in the preparatory phase would reap benefits at harvest time. ‘Young’ Wull joined the family business in 1977 and the dynamic duo began from there. Up until the 1980’s the pair focused on designing, building and pioneering stone separators. Success came quickly for the pair as a number of single row stone separators were produced and installed on local farms where great attention was given to the precise operation and functioning. Latterly, two and three row machines were manufactured and sold under licence by Root Harvesters Ltd/Hestair Harvesters, Peterbourgh, but production ceased when Hestair Harvesters discontinued their agricultural market. The introduction of new continental style potato harvesters meant that stone separation became an absolutely essential process in the lifting of tatties.
1989 saw the development of the Scorgie Root Crop Cutter/Feeding Machine, latterly made under licence by Ritchies of Forfar, culminating in the award of a Silver Medal at the Royal Highland Show followed by a Silver Gilt Medal the following year - which is the highest in the scheme. In 1991 another Silver Medal was awarded to the pair for the 24 Metre Spray Boom.
In the mid 1970’s, production started on hydraulically operated folding spray booms to local farmers and contractors, and the rest as they say is history. The unique aspect of the Scorgie sprayers’ is that one boom can be folded in whilst the other boom stays out remaining perfectly level. This has now evolved into a situation where complete sprayers are now produced up to 30 metres in width, can be typically spotted in the ‘Scorgie Orange’ paint with the Scorgie stickers and have been exhibited at Sprays and Sprayers in Cambridgeshire, The Royal Highland Show at Edinburgh and Turriff Show. This work is now the leading focus of the business and the sprayers are being adapted to the new modern technology and needs of farmers far and wide.🧡🚜
