Highland Clearances
E29177
The Highland Clearances were a series of forced evictions and social upheavals in 18th- and 19th-century Scotland that displaced many Gaelic-speaking tenant farmers to make way for more profitable sheep farming and reshaped the culture and demographics of the Scottish Highlands.
All labels observed (4)
| Label | Occurrences |
|---|---|
| Highland Clearances canonical | 14 |
| Glencalvie evictions of 1845 | 1 |
| Highland clearances | 1 |
| Highland evictions | 1 |
Statements (67)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
agrarian restructuring
ⓘ
forced evictions ⓘ historical event ⓘ social upheaval ⓘ |
| affectedGroup |
Gaelic-speaking Highlanders
ⓘ
crofters ⓘ tenant farmers ⓘ |
| alsoKnownAs |
Fuadaichean nan Gàidheal
ⓘ
Highland Clearances ⓘ
surface form:
Highland evictions
|
| country | Scotland ⓘ |
| culturalImpact |
memorialization in Highland diaspora communities
ⓘ
romanticization of the Highlands in literature ⓘ themes of exile in Gaelic song and poetry ⓘ |
| economicActivity |
commercial pastoralism
ⓘ
sheep farming ⓘ |
| endTime | 19th century ⓘ |
| hasEffect |
creation of crofting communities
ⓘ
decline of Scottish Gaelic language in the Highlands ⓘ depopulation of the Scottish Highlands ⓘ displacement of Gaelic-speaking tenant farmers ⓘ expansion of sheep farms ⓘ long-term cultural trauma among Highland communities ⓘ mass emigration from Scotland ⓘ social unrest in the Highlands ⓘ transformation of traditional clan society ⓘ |
| historicalDebate |
controversy over extent of coercion and violence
ⓘ
debate over economic inevitability versus landlord responsibility ⓘ |
| languageContext |
English
ⓘ
Scots ⓘ Scottish Gaelic ⓘ |
| mainCause |
agricultural modernization
ⓘ
introduction of large-scale sheep farming ⓘ landlord pursuit of higher rents and profits ⓘ |
| memorial |
Clearances memorial at Bettyhill
ⓘ
Emigrant Statue at Helmsdale ⓘ Highland Clearances monument at Golspie ⓘ |
| notableAgent |
James Loch
ⓘ
Patrick Sellar ⓘ |
| notableLandowner |
Clan MacLeod chiefs
ⓘ
Duke of Argyll ⓘ Duke of Sutherland ⓘ Macdonald of Sleat ⓘ |
| region | Scottish Highlands ⓘ |
| relatedTo |
Crofting Acts
ⓘ
parliamentary enclosure acts ⓘ
surface form:
Enclosure movement in Britain
Irish Famine emigration ⓘ Scottish clan system ⓘ |
| replaced |
run-rig agriculture
ⓘ
subsistence mixed farming ⓘ traditional clan-based landholding ⓘ |
| resultedIn |
emigration to Australia
ⓘ
emigration to New Zealand ⓘ emigration to North America ⓘ growth of Lowland Scottish industrial workforce ⓘ |
| significantPlace |
Assynt
ⓘ
Glencalvie ⓘ Isle of Barra ⓘ Isle of Lewis ⓘ Isle of Mull ⓘ South Uist ⓘ
surface form:
Isle of South Uist
Outer Hebrides ⓘ Ross-shire ⓘ Skye ⓘ Strathnaver ⓘ Sutherland ⓘ |
| startTime | 18th century ⓘ |
| timePeriod | c. 1750–c. 1860 ⓘ |
Referenced by (17)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.
this entity surface form:
Highland evictions
this entity surface form:
Highland clearances
this entity surface form:
Glencalvie evictions of 1845