The Highland Clearances: The History of the Scottish Diaspora
To this day, the Highland Clearances historical event generates emotion and sadness in Scottish people.
This dramatic event saw Scottish people being forcibly removed from the land they had resided on for generations.
In this blog, we will discuss the impact of the Highland Clearances and its effect on modern day Scotland.
The History of the Highland Clearances
In the mid-18th century, Charles Edward Stuart, known to Scots as Bonnie Prince Charlie, led the rebel Jacobites to fight to reclaim the throne for his father.
Around 1750, the Battle of Culloden took place, acting as a finale to the rebellion. Unfortunately, the Jacobites were unsuccessful and the English won. As punishment for the Scottish landlords who took part in the rebellion, many were forced to forfeit their estates.
The English further disempowered Highlanders by removing their right to arms and banning their traditional clothing.
Additionally, further Clearances were influenced by the Scottish Enlightenment period. This was a period of intellectual and scientific accomplishment in 18th- and early-19th-century Scotland.
Led by this new ideology, landlords that ousted tenants to make their land more profitable. Their land, which were previously used for fishing, kelping and the military, were transformed into large farms. The arable land was instead used to raise sheep.
As a result of these changes, the tenants who lived in clachand or townships on the land were uprooted. Many were resettled on the coast and were given poor quality land, known as crofts. This made it difficult for the former tenants to make a living as the land was not viable for agriculture.
At this point, the country’s need for potential military men meant migration was beyond the reach of most. However, some managed to move overseas or to urban locations like Cromarty and Inverness. Others travelled south to London, Glasgow, or Edinburgh.
The Impact of the Highland Clearances on Scottish Identity
There are many different perspectives about the Highland Clearances. Some believe the tenants moved from their land would have left anyway due to their way of life being so impoverished. However, many Scots still feel an overwhelming feeling of cultural or personal loss.
In some areas of mass migration like Cape Breton, some displaced people have managed to keep Gaelic culture alive. There is a lot of music and dances similar to the styles that were suppressed in Scotland after the Highland Clearances.
However, there are a lot of people who chose to leave Scotland and their cultural legacy behind. It is thought that up to 40 million people have Scottish roots. Ancestry tourism attracts approximately 800,000 visitors to Scotland each year. For the descendants of those impacted by the Clearances, there is still a big attachment to Scotland and its culture. Perhaps this is due to the injustice of the Clearances and the desire to keep old Scottish culture alive.
With this in mind, it's probably not surprising that Scottish Country dances and Burns Night Suppers occur worldwide.
Want to Own a Little Piece of Scotland?
Scotland Titles give anyone who wants it a connection to Scotland by giving them a small patch of land in Fife. Not only will you become an honorary Lord or Lady, but you will also help preserve the Scottish Highlands for future generations.
