Highland Clearances Music And Song On Visit To A Concert In Scotland

Tour Scotland travel video of a song and music about the Highland Clearances, on past visit to a Scottish concert. In the history of the Highlands of Scotland many crofts, villages and churches fell into ruin in the late 18th or more usually the early 19th century. These times were a dark chapter in Scotland’s history, as the highland social structure was destroyed in the process. This is what is known as the Highland clearances, when the population of small farmers, known as Crofters, who used to raise black cattle and drive them in herds to the lowlands to sell were unable to produce enough rent to keep the estate owners satisfied. They were evicted from their homes, often with little regard for their well being, as their goods were thrown out of their small cottages which were then demolished. The people had to go to the cities, to emigrate or to live along the coasts while the whole of the interior of the Highlands was more or less depopulated and sheep flocks, managed shepherds from the lowlands were brought in to provide a more profitable enterprise for the estates. Many crofters emigrated to America, Canada, New Zealand and Australia. The clans such as Macintosh, Campbell and Grant had ruled their lands in the highlands for hundreds of years. The Highland Clearances changed all that however, and altered a distinct and autonomous way of life. Between 1811 and 1821, around 15,000 people were removed from land owned by the Duchess of Sutherland and her husband the Marquis of Stafford to make room for 200,000 sheep. Some of those turned out had literally nowhere else to go; many were old and infirm and so starved or froze to death, left to the mercy of the elements. In 1814 two elderly people who did not get out of their cottage in time were burned alive in Strathnaver. In 1826, the Isle of Rum was cleared of its tenants who were paid to go to Canada, travelling on the ship James to dock at Halifax. In 1851, 1500 tenants on the Island of Barra, Outer Hebrides, were tricked to a meeting about land rents; they were then overpowered, tied up and forced onto a ship to America. This clearing of the population is a main contributor to the massive world-wide Scottish diaspora and why so many Americans and Canadians can trace their ancestry to the proud, ancient clans of Scotland. It is not known exactly how many highlanders emigrated, voluntarily or otherwise, during the first Clearances, but estimates put it at about 70,000. All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.

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