After the official order to remove everything from the land the local farms sprang into action. Children from the South camped at Balnagown helped lift the remainder of the potatoes, which then had to be dressed, the good sorted from the bad and the seed potatoes set aside. The corn stacks from the bumper harvest had to be threshed in just over four weeks. One machine wasn't enough to thresh it all in that time and more machines were brought up from the south. With all the fit men in the army they had to bring in Italian Prisoners of War to help with the threshing. The P.O.W.s were fed in one of the steadings at Balmuchy. About three hundred Home Guards, from around the area, were called in to help as well. They had to work on Sundays, which you might find surprising.

At one farm three threshing mills, two hay baling machines and machines for dressing seed potatoes for England at a rate of 80 tons a day, could be seen. Land army girls were kept very busy and had no time for training. At this time they were staying at the Oyster Catcher at Portmahomack which wasn't a hotel then but a shop.

In an area that had over 40 farms, 15 of which was a fair size, there was the problem of over 1600 head of cattle and some 9600 sheep to remove. Some farmers managed to get neighbouring farms to help out but the majority of the stock were sold at special auctions held at Dingwall. Unfortunately these couldn't be advertised because of the secrecy of the battle training and prices weren't very good. The sight of all the farm stock lorries heading for Dingwall made such an impression on the minds of those who saw them pass that it was never forgotten.

When the people were evacuated and they left anything behind it wasn't there when they came back. There wasn't even a partridge or pheasant in sight because the soldiers had shot them all. Even the rabbits had vanished to the safety of the Morrich.