The Scottish Clearances

When the Clearances are mentioned in connection to Scotland, thoughts immediately turn to the Highlands and the destruction of the clan system. While the events that took place in the northern half of Scotland should never be forgotten, the fact remains that the lowlands, in particular the Scottish Borders and Dumfries & Galloway, were also affected. The differences between the two areas were not merely geographical; it is widely known the methods used in the north ranged from harsh to barbaric with people being forcibly evicted from their homes and at times killed or left in conditions where they had no hope of survival. The end result in both areas was the same - a marked decrease in population with migrations into the central part of Scotland or overseas, mainly to America, Canada and Australia.

Another marked difference was the reason for the clearances in each area. In the south it was a direct result of the Agricultural Revolution. However, the people of the Highlands were seen as a different race; they spoke a strange language and lived like savages as far as the people of the lowlands were concerned. They were also a threat to the reigning monarch as many of the Highlanders followed the Jacobite cause and thought on the side of the deposed Stuarts during the recent rebellions. Following the Battle of Culloden, the Duke of Cumberland gave the order that no Highlander should be spared and the atrocious way they were treated, even assuming they were allowed to live, is seen as the start of the clearances themselves. Ultimately, as in the lowlands, the people were cleared to make way for sheep and while the lowlanders are usually blamed for events it was not unknown for the clan chiefs themselves to clear their own lands of people.

The actual periods that are accepted for the clearances would be: from 1760 to 1830 for those in the lowlands; and two main periods for the Highlands, from 1782 to 1820 and 1840 to 1854. However, to understand the events better it is necessary to start from a few years before and to include events following the years mentioned, as well as those between the two periods of Highland clearances.

As mentioned above, many of the Highland clans fought on the side of the Jacobites and the British government wanted to remove the possibility of further rebellions. So, in August 1746, the Act of Proscription was invoked, which banned the wearing of any form of Highland dress and speaking Gaelic. The act also restated the Disarming Acts of 1716 and 1725 that were supposed to prevent clansmen from carrying any form of arms. This was followed by the abolition of the hereditary jurisdictions of the chiefs, which in turn destroyed the social structure of the clans. Basically the clan chief lost the right to dispense the law within his own clan, which resulted in him also losing any real interest in the people other than a source of income. Eventually sheep were seen as being more profitable than humans and gradually the animal replaced man.

In the lowlands, it was the change in farming methods that brought about the change in population. As these were introduced into the southern part of Scotland, there was need for fewer people to work the land. At around the same time the industrial revolution was taking place leading to more jobs being available in central Scotland and northern England. As a result, many of the people from southern Scotland moved into these areas although others chose to emigrate to America and Canada. They were replaced on their land by sheep in much the same way as the Highlanders were.

The end result was the spread of the population throughout Scotland changed dramatically. Prior to the clearances, about 50% of the people lived in the Highlands with the central belt accounting for less than 40% and the remainder in the southern part. After the clearances the spread shifted to the central area, which now accounts for 75% with the Highlands reduced to around 20% and the remaining 5% in the south. These figures are confused by the fact that, overall, the total population of Scotland has increased dramatically, however the fact remains the spread of the people was altered and much of the Highlands and the south are now a man-made wilderness.

That in very basic terms is what happened. However, when looking at the clearances in detail two things become apparent. First of all, the methods of clearing the people from the Highlands, as mentioned above, were brutal in comparison to the lowlands. Secondly, it is easier to find information concerning the Highland Clearances; about what happened and where. Having said that, much of the time the clearances are discussed it is as if it was a single event. Nothing could be further from the truth as, although the end result was basically the same, the different areas all have their own, unique, stories to tell.