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

Social History of the Highlands


The Highlands have undergone considerable change during the last century and a half, and the alteration, in a social point of view, has been on the whole for the better. The Highlands are now generally as accessible as the lowlands; the manners, speech, and occupations of the inhabitants are becoming more and more assimilated to those of their lowland neighbours, and to all appearances, in a very short time, there will remain little or nothing to distinguish the Scottish Celt from the Saxon. Although this change has by no means been altogether to the advantage of the Highlander, although many of the vices as well as the virtues of civilization have been forced upon him, still, for the sake of the community at large, the change cannot be regretted, and it is only to be desired that the lowlanders in turn may be brought to admire and imitate the noble virtues of their northern neighbours, their courage, fidelity, reverence, self-respect, and love of independence.



The Living Conditions in the Highlands Prior to 1745 - Part 1
Social condition of the Highlands, Black Mail, Watch Money, The Law, Power of the Chiefs, Land Distribution, Tacksmen, Tenants, Rents, Thirlage, Wretched State of Agriculture, Agricultural Implements, The Caschroim, The Reestle, Methods of Transportation, Drawbacks to Cultivation, Management of Crops, Farm Work, Live Stock, Garrons, Sheep, Black Cattle, Arable Land, Pasturage, Farm Servants, The Bailte Geamhre, Davoch-lands, Milk, Cattle Drovers, Harvest Work, The Quern.

The Living Conditions in the Highlands Prior to 1745- Part 2
Fuel, Food, Social Life in Former Days, Education, Dwellings, Habits, Gartmore Papers, Wages, Roads, Present State of the Highlands.

Living Conditions in the Highlands after 1745 - Part 1
Progress of Innovation, First mention of Emigration, Pennant’s account of the country, Dr Johnson,  Emigration fairly commenced in 1760.

Living Conditions in the Highlands after 1745 - Part 2
The Tacksmen the first to suffer and emigrate, Consequences to those who remained, Wretched condition of the Western Islands, Introduction of large sheep-farms, Ejection of small tenants, "Mailers", Hebrides, Real Highland grievance, Title-deeds, The two sides of the Highland Question, Truth on both sides, Excessive population, Argument of those who condemn depopulation, The sentimental and military arguments, Testimony as to wretched condition of Highlanders, Highlands admirably suited for sheep, Effect of sheep-farming on Highland scenery, Highlands unsuited to black cattle, Large and small farms, Interference, Fishing and farming cannot be successfully united, Raising rents, Depopulation, How far the landlords were to blame, Kelp, Advantages and disadvantages of its manufacture, Potatoes, Introduction into the Highlands, Their importance, Failures of Crop, Disease, Amount of progress made during latter part of 18th century.

McIan's Highlanders At Home
By R. R. M'Ian, Esq 1848, Illustrations by James Logan, Esq.

Social Life in Former Days
Chiefly in the Province of Moray, illustrated by letter and family papers by E. Dunbar Dunbar (Late) Captain 21st Fusiliers (1865) in two volumes

Memorabilia Domestica
Parish Life in the North of Scotland by the Late Rev. Donald Sage, A.M., Minister of Resolis edited by his son (second edition) (1899) (pdf)

Scotland, its Faith and its Features
Or, A visit to Blair Athol by The Rev. Francis Trench, volumes 1 & 2 (1846) (pdf)

Family, Finance and Free Will
Marriage Contracts in Scotland, c.1380–1500 by Heather Parker

Chasing the Deer
Hunting Iconography, Literature and Tradition of the Scottish Highlands. A thesis presented by Andrew E. M. Wiseman MA. (Edin., 1992), M.Phil. (Glas., 1997) to the Department of Celtic and Scottish Studies in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Edinburgh October 2007 (pdf)

The Formation of Marriage in Scotland, c. 1350 -1600
By Heather Parker (pdf)

Plantation: Its Process in Relation to Scotland’s Atlantic Communities, 1590s–1630s
By Thomas Brochard (pdf)


 


 


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