© J.H.Mathieson
The highland Clearances:
The clearances of the 18th and 19th centuries mark one of
the more notorious periods of Scotland’s history. Tens of
thousands of highlanders were cruelly torn from homes
their families had farmed for countless generations. The
Lairds, driven by the profit motive replaced the highlander
with more profitable sheep runs and later by herds of deer.
The following images illustrate the cumulative population
loss in the Scottish Highlands from 1831 to 1911.
Click on the first image to display the population loss from
1831 - 1841. At the bottom of the first image you will see a
set of grey arrows (enlarged at the right). These arrows
allow you to display the slides one at a time or as a slide
show
Population change in the Scottish
Highlands:
1831 to 1851
1831 to 1841
1831 to 1881
1831 to 1911
