Highland Clearances

The Highland clearances (Gaelic: Fuadaich nan Gàidheal, the expulsion of the Gael) is a name given to the forced displacement of the population of the Scottish Highlands from their ancient ways of warrior clan subsistence farming, leading to mass emigration.

This was part of a process of agricultural change, but the late timing, the lack of legal protection for year-by-year tenants under Scottish law, the abruptness of the change from the Clan System and the brutality of many of the evictions gave the Highland Clearances particular notoriety.

In the Highlands the impact on a Gaelic speaking semi-feudal culture that still expected obligations from a chieftain to his clan led to vocal campaigning and a lingering bitterness among the descendants of the large numbers forced to emigrate, or to remain and subsist in crofting townships on very small areas of often marginal land.

Crofters became a source of virtually free labour to their landlords, forced to work long hours, for example, in the harvesting and processing of Kelp.

There will be many visitors visiting us here at Clann Alba that will be a product of those clearances and you are very much welcome to join us here.