On the crofters' trail : in search of the Clearance Highlanders

by David Craig

Paper Book, 1990

Status

Available

Call number

F1035.S4 C73

Publication

London : Cape, 1990

Description

In the Clearances of the 19th century, crofts - once the mainstay of Highland life in Scotland - were swept away as the land was put over to sheep grazing. Many of the people of the Highlands and islands of Scotland were forced from their homes by landowners in the Clearances. Some fled to Nova Scotia and beyond.David Craig sets out to discover how many of their stories survive in the memories of their descendants. He travels through 21 islands in Scotland and Canada, many thousands of miles of moor and glen, and presents the words of men and women of both countries as they recount the suffering of their forbears.

Original publication date

1990

ISBN

0224032259 / 9780224032254

User reviews

LibraryThing member adb42
An excellent account of the cruelty of the Highland Clearances, showing how people were booted off their land, and where they ended up. Well researched, but a painful read.
LibraryThing member Familyhistorian
This is a well written account of David Craig's odyssey from the highlands of Scotland to places in Canada where the immigrants made their homes, to find what remains of the memories of the Highland Clearances. It was a cruel time that saw people who had lived on the land for centuries being ousted
Show More
to make way for sheep. Craig proves to himself and the reader that the memories live on and will continue as long as they are captured in print.

The writing is wonderful and the descriptions are almost lyrical. A great read for those who are interested in this period of Scottish and Canadian history, especially poignant for those whose family history was shaped by the clearances.
Show Less

Physical description

358 p.; 20 cm

Pages

358
Page: 0.0966 seconds