Search just our sites by using our customised search engine

Unique Cottages | Electric Scotland's Classified Directory

Click here to get a Printer Friendly PageSmiley

On Emigration and the State of the Highlands
Appendix L.


On this point I have received some very valuable observations from a most respectable proprietor resident in the Western Isles, whose name, if I were at liberty to mention it, would leave no doubt of their accuracy:— I have always looked upon the indolence attributed to the Highlanders as proceeding in a very great measure from the misplaced attachment of friends and relations, and even the native spirit of hospitality, in this respect to general amongst the lower orders. It is a common practice for people to go to service in the Low Country for several years; but they almost uniformly return and are often sent for by their friends, to remain idle at home, when tired, as they say, of work. Those friends have frequently but a scanty subsistence for themselves; but no one will refuse a residence or a share of his homely fare to a friend or connection. They frequently (unknown) share their little portions of land, so that no one dreads the danger of absolute want, however idle; and thus a great spur to industry is withdrawn. From this cause it proceeds, that no Highlander can he got to be sufficiently industrious, or to work hard in his own country.


Return to Book Index


 


This comment system requires you to be logged in through either a Disqus account or an account you already have with Google, Twitter, Facebook or Yahoo. In the event you don't have an account with any of these companies then you can create an account with Disqus. All comments are moderated so they won't display until the moderator has approved your comment.

comments powered by Disqus

Quantcast