The History of the Highland Clearances
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THE HISTORY OF THE HIGHLAND CLEARANCES BY ALEXANDER MACKENZIE, F.S.A., Scot. WITH A NEW INTRODUCTION BY IAN MACPHERSON, M.P. “Truth is stranger than fiction.” P. J. O‟CALLAGHAN, 132-134 WEST NILE STREET, GLASGOW. First Edition 1883 Second Edition, altered and revised 1883 Contents Contents ..................................................................................................................................................... 3 EDITOR’S PREFACE ...................................................................................................................................... 6 INTRODUCTION. .......................................................................................................................................... 8 Highland Clearances. ............................................................................................................................... 14 THE REV. DONALD SAGE ON THE SUTHERLAND CLEARANCES. ............................................................. 22 GENERAL STEWART OF GARTH ON THE SUTHERLAND CLEARANCES. ................................................... 28 HUGH MILLER ON THE SUTHERLAND CLEARANCES. ............................................................................. 36 MR JAMES LOCH ON SUTHERLAND IMPROVEMENTS. .......................................................................... 47 MRS. HARRIET BEECHER STOWE ON THE SUTHERLAND CLEARANCES. ................................................. 53 REPLY TO MRS. BEECHER STOWE BY DONALD MACLEOD. .................................................................... 60 TRIAL OF PATRICK SELLAR ..................................................................................................................... 77 H. HOME DRUMMOND, A.D.............................................................................................................. 82 ROSS-SHIRE. GLENCALVIE. .................................................................................................................... 86 THE EVICTION OF THE ROSSES. ................................................................................................. 90 KINTAIL. ............................................................................................................................................. 96 COIGEACH. ........................................................................................................................................ 97 STRATHCONON. ............................................................................................................................... 97 THE BLACK ISLE. ............................................................................................................................. 98 THE ISLAND OF LEWIS. ................................................................................................................. 99 LECKMELM. MR. ALEXANDER MACKENZIE ON THE LECKMELM EVICTIONS. ....................................... 100 LOCHCARRON. BY ALEXANDER MACKENZIE. ...................................................................................... 108 THE 78TH HIGHLANDERS. ................................................................................................................... 112 THE REV. DR. JOHN KENNEDY ON THE ROSS-SHIRE CLEARANCES. ...................................................... 114 INVERNESS-SHIRE. GLENGARRY. BY ALEXANDER MACKENZIE. ........................................................... 114 STRATHGLASS. BY ALEXANDER MACKENZIE........................................................................................ 125 GUISACHAN. BY ALEXANDER MACKENZIE. .......................................................................................... 129 GLENELG. BY ALEXANDER MACKENZIE. .............................................................................................. 130 GLENDESSERAY AND LOCHARKAIG ..................................................................................................... 131 THE HEBRIDES. By ALEXANDER MACKENKIE. .......................................................................................... 133 NORTH UIST. ....................................................................................................................................... 133 BORERAIG AND SUISINISH, ISLE OF SKYE. ........................................................................................... 136 A CONTRAST. ...................................................................................................................................... 143 SOUTH UIST AND BARRA..................................................................................................................... 143 THE ISLAND OF RUM. .......................................................................................................................... 150 ARGYLLSHIRE. BY ALEXANDER MACKENZIE. ........................................................................................ 153 THE ISLAND OF MULL. ......................................................................................................................... 154 ARDNAMURCHAN. .............................................................................................................................. 156 MORVEN. ............................................................................................................................................ 158 GLENORCHY. ....................................................................................................................................... 160 DEPOPULATION OF THE COUNTY.................................................................................................... 161 BUTESHIRE. ......................................................................................................................................... 162 ARRAN. DUGALD MACKENZIE MACKILLOP ON THE ARRAN CLEARANCES....................................... 162 PERTHSHIRE, RANNOCH. ..................................................................................................................... 163 BY ALEXANDER MACKENZIE. ........................................................................................................... 163 BREADALBANE. ................................................................................................................................... 165 NOTABLE DICTA. ................................................................................................................................. 167 THE REV. DR. MACLACHLAN............................................................................................................ 167 A HIGHLAND SHERIFF. ......................................................................................................................... 171 THE WIZARD OF THE NORTH. .............................................................................................................. 171 A CONTINENTAL HISTORIAN. .......................................................................................................... 172 MR. ALFRED RUSSEL WALLACE. ...................................................................................................... 172 A FRENCH ECONOMIST. ...................................................................................................................... 175 MR. JOSEPH CHAMBERLAIN. ........................................................................................................... 178 HARDSHIPS ENDURED BY FIRST EMIGRANTS. ..................................................................................... 178 BY ALEXANDER MACKENZIE. ........................................................................................................... 178 AN EVICTING AGENT. .......................................................................................................................... 183 AN OCTOGENARIAN GAEL. .................................................................................................................. 185 STATISTICAL STATEMENT. ....................................................................................................................... 188 APPENDICES. ........................................................................................................................................... 195 NOTE A. (See Page 115.) ..................................................................................................................... 195 NOTE B. (See Page 218.) ..................................................................................................................... 196 NOTE C. (See page 234.) ..................................................................................................................... 197 EDITOR‟S PREFACE TO SECOND EDITION. ACKENZIE‟S History of the Highland Clearances, with its thrilling and almost incredible narratives of oppression and Meviction, has been for a long time out of print. In view of the current movement, described by Mr. Asquith as an “organised campaign against the present system of land tenure,” it has occurred to the holder of the copyright, Mr. Eneas Mackay, publisher, Stirling, that, at the present juncture, a re-issue might be expediently prepared. He recognised that the story of the great upheaval which, early in the nineteenth century, took place among the Highland crofters would be of undoubted interest and utility to those who follow the efforts now put forth to settle the land question in Scotland. At his request I readily undertook