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The Changing Face of the Highlands (Final Chapter)

© Simon Hill

The 1870's saw a new assertiveness in the Highlands. A foundation was laid for the political assertion of crofters rights which culminated in not only the Crofters Act of 1886, but also contributed to the later Congested Districts Act of 1897 and the land legislation of 1911 and 1919. It is interesting that many of the proposed solutions to the problem of the crofting system were not addressed until much later, in particular the idea that more land should be made available to the crofters. Despite the general desire among crofters for the opportunity to increase their holdings the Crofter Act ignored this issue.

The fact that the Crofter Act was a dissapointment for many crofters may indicate the failure of the protest movement and suggest that the government merely introduced a Scottish version of the Irish Land Act. They failed to identify the different situation in the Highlands despite the publicity of the problems and the political movement. This indicates a lack of cohesion within the crofting movement, although press, politicians and the crofters themselves combined to create a fairly effective pressure group they never agreed fully on many issues.

By the 1870's the romanticised image of the Highlands had largely been exposed as fake. The reality was poverty, insecurity and poor health. The conditions were appauling and indeed the Highlands during this period may have represented the most disadvantaged area in Britain. The mass clearances, poverty and constant threat of eviction combined with the devaluation of the Gaelic language had demoralised and generally weakened the population. It was only with the slight improvement in living standards in the late 1860's and early 1870's that the crofters began to regain some confidence and pride. This was further helped by the firm establishment of the Free Church, an institution that many of the Highlanders felt belonged to them. The generation of the 1870's were more confident than previous generations and were prepared to fight for their rights. This is perhaps unfair to previous generations who had gone through terrible hardships such as the great famine of the late 1840's and did protest more than was previously thought allbeit with little success.

One of the main differences for the generation of the 1870's was the massive amount of coverage and support they received from the press. This support, coupled with the events in Ireland, created much greater pressure than ever before to introduce reforms. Why had this pressure not been applied during the main clearances in the 1840's and 1850's? Part of the explanation is the earlier lack of Highlanders who had been educated elsewhere and retained either a personal memory or a link through their parents with the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. Even if they did not become directly involved in the protest movement they would still have spread the news about the poor state of affairs for crofters. These factors also combined with the improving status of the Gaelic language, often led by Highland Societies full of ex-patriate Scots, to assert Highland issues and culture more fully. Many of the crofters or their children who had migrated returned later to become involved in the struggle for crofters rights. Some were involved in politics, which was not really made possible until legislation was passed increasing the electorate, others were involved in journalism.

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