Introduction

Callum MacAllan

"After most of us were evicted from Glenmorven, we were forced to build new lives for ourselves and our families. It was a terrible time for us; a time of hardship and change. Read on to find out what life is like for the clan in 1821.

Let's hope it's a good catch today. The herring have been shy these past few days. Aye, I remember the old days when I worked the land. It was a far safer existence. Every day I fear for our lives in these dangerous waters, especially after the sea took my friend Seamus. He was such a help to us when we moved here from Glenmorven. He lent me these nets and allowed me to go out in the boat with him so I could learn what to do. But he went out in the storm and the cruel sea claimed his life. I'm used to fishing and the ways of the coast now but when my family first moved here we didn't even have a roof over our heads."


Mary MacTavish

"Oh my poor fingers, they're worn to the bone. I'll never get used to this way of life. It's not even a life, merely an existence. I work all the daylight hours in this godforsaken mill, rubbing the ends of cotton together. I have to be careful not to get trapped in the machinery. Oh, I hate this miserable city with its cramped houses and stinking alleyways. All four of us have to sleep in one tiny space and it's filthy. All of the children have been ill and last year my eldest died of typhoid - God rest his soul. I miss my friends from Glenmorven terribly. In this busy city, many of my neighbours don't even say hello. I've tried to be friendly but I struggle to understand their accents and my English isn't very good. Life is bleak for me. Oh, I wish I were back in the glens with my own people."


Donald MacDavid

"It's been 5 years since my family left Scotland but I still remember being forced by the constables to board the ship at Ullapool. I had no idea where we were headed until a sailor told me it was Canada. But enough about the past; Canada is my home now. We live in a log cabin made from trees that we chopped down ourselves. The dogs keep us company and go hunting with us. Just last week I caught a tasty deer. Nothing goes to waste! I made clothing from the hide and used the antlers to make spoons. There is plenty of wood around to keep the fire burning during the long winter months. I've even made a sledge to help transport things in the snow. We are far better off than I ever would have been in Glenmorven. We feel better about life now than when we first arrived. We were given land and tools to start us off but we had to work very hard, in freezing weather."


John MacAndrew

"Ah yes, life has been good to me over the last few years. The Clan Chief and I have worked closely together and now we are running a profitable business. I have 10,000 sheep to my name and they bring me an enormous profit. I get an excellent price for the wool. I pay my shepherds the going rate and give the Chief a healthy rent. I still have plenty money left. I've built myself a new house and I have 4 servants to tend to my needs. Since I got rid of these idle crofters, the land has been peaceful and I have been able to prosper."


William MacAndrew

"Sheep grazing has been a huge success. My income is almost £10 000 a year now, compared to £1000 before. I hear my clansfolk are doing well in the main. I knew it would be good for them to move to pastures new. So it seems everything has worked out for the best. More money means I can send my sons to Cambridge University, hold magnificent balls for the gentry, and host splendid Highland Games. I can spend more time in London now, in fact I have just bought a townhouse there. I come back here during the summer months, when the weather is fine. I have also refurbished the castle so it looks splendid inside and out. My land is all but deserted. The only noise to be heard is the bleat of the sheep."


Real Life

Introduction

During the period of the Highland Clearances more than half a million people left the Highlands in search of a life elsewhere. A few were moved only a few miles to the coast where they had to learn the ways of the sea and how to fish for survival. Others went to the growing cities of the Lowlands where they had to learn a different way of life. Some left Scotland altogether and travelled abroad to new lands. It was a time of great change and, for some, great sadness. The Highlanders had lost their old ways of life for good.

Those who went abroad faced a long and dangerous journey to their new homes, often lasting for many weeks. They were not told how long the journey would take, so they sometimes ran out of food. That meant they had to buy extra food on the ship at very high prices. Often the drinking water would be stored in dirty barrels and this made people sick!

The ships were usually overcrowded so there was not much space for living or lying down if they did not feel well. Illness and diseases spread easily, and many people died on the journey.


Life in Canada

When Highlanders arrived in Canada they hoped for a better life. They were given land to farm but it was a long way from the harbours where they landed. The Highlanders had to make another long journey.

They found the land had never been farmed before and it was covered with trees. They had to clear the trees away before they could start growing crops. They used the wood to build themselves log cabins. Sometimes a group of Highlanders would work together to make a settlement in a forest clearing.

When their homes were built, the women and children would join them. A well-off family would have cows, hens and pigs for meat and dairy products. They could also hunt for wild animals like deer, or catch fish.

Crops of grain, vegetables and fruit grew well during the warm summer months. At harvest time, the food had to be carefully preserved so it would last through the long winter months. Although the Highlanders were used to harsh weather, few were prepared for Canadian winters which were much colder and which lasted far longer.

Letter from Canada

This letter was sent on the 29th of August 1835 from Upper Canada to Scotland. Here are some excerpts from it:-

Dear Uncle,
We received your letter and, at my Father's request, I send you these few lines to let you know how we are getting on in this remote part of the world. He is so busy at present that he cannot possibly get (enough time) to write a letter.

I was just paying them a visit yesterday. Father and the four oldest boys were all away about five miles from home, harvesting, so I just had dinner with Mother and the rest of the family who were at home. Then I went in search of Father who I had not seen for a while. I found Father, Archibald and George all stripped and reaping in a field of wheat, and Charles and Andrew building. They were all in good health and though they were working long and hard, the thought of receiving some money makes it worthwhile and keeps their spirits up.

The weather has been unusually rainy…so I am afraid our farmers will not be able to send much flour of the first quality to market…I need not, my dear Uncle, attempt to describe to you my Father's feelings at what you and other kind friends have done for us in sending him the loan of £50. He owed £23 to various people and I can assure you that this was unavoidable. The debt came about as a result of buying food for the family, wood for the house, and potatoes for seed. Another payment for the land of £13 was due. So you can see what a struggle he would have had if you had not helped. He will just be able to afford a pair of oxen and a cow which will cost £20….

(Father and the boys) chopped 17 acres last winter and 2 acres for a neighbour in return for flour. This summer, of their own 17 acres, they logged and burned about 5 or 6 acres; 2 ½ of which were sowed with spring wheat which looks well and will be ripe in about 2 weeks. About 1 acre is planted with Indian corn which also looks well. There will be half an acre of potatoes as well. The rest of the land is planted with peas and turnips. All the stock they have is a cow and a pig.

The 4 oldest boys are now indeed real Yankee choppers. They have not hunted for any deer yet, but they can get plenty to buy from the Indians for very little money.

I must now draw to a close by saying that…my father is indeed a changed man since leaving his native country. These were indeed years of gloomy despondency and sadness, but God seems to be working with us. My Father wishes me to send you his best wishes.

I remain your affectionate nephew,

John.


Life in the City

Families from the Highlands found the Lowland cities very different from the places they had left behind. The sky was full of smoke billowing from chimneys. There were hundreds of factories and even more houses built close to each other. Many Highlanders spoke little or no English so they found it difficult to talk to their new neighbours.

The families had little money and they had to live in the poorest areas of the city in the slum tenement houses. Each family had only one room to live, eat and sleep in. There were no toilets so the houses often smelt terrible!

The work place was no better. Most people worked in factories and mills. Adults and children worked at least 12 hours a day to earn a tiny amount of money. Working conditions were dirty so many people became sick. People were often injured or even killed by the dangerous machinery.


Life at the Coast

Some of the people who were cleared off their land were moved to the coast. They were given a small patch of land where they could build a home. This land was not good for growing crops. If they wanted to stay there, the people had to learn how to fish.

Fishing was a dangerous way of life for even the most experienced fisherman. Those arriving at the coast had to quickly learn the ways of the sea. Their small wooden boats didn't protect them from the open sea. So they had to rely on shoals of herring that would swim closer to the shore. In an attempt to keep dry, fishermen would coat their clothes with cod liver. This made them slightly waterproof.

Life was no easier for the women. They would be responsible for making and looking after the nets. Then they would deal with the catch on the men's return. Bait was very important and even the youngest children could gather up mussels, clams and limpets from the shore for the men to use as bait.


Life in the Highlands

Life in the Highlands was very different after the Clearances. There were fewer people and, in place of people and townships, there were sheep and sheep farmers. The landlords received much more money from renting the land to the sheep farmers. The sheep farmers were able to afford the high rent because wool from the sheep was bringing them a lot of money. Not all highland chiefs made their money from sheep farming. Some tried and failed. Their last hope was to turn their land into a sporting estate. Rich families from the south would visit the Highlands during the summer months. They would spend their time hunting deer and grouse on the estate, riding horses, fishing and enjoying the surroundings. By this time, many of the highland chiefs were really English gentlemen who spoke little or no Gaelic. Most of them had houses in London and lived there for most of the year. The traditional role of the highland chief had almost disappeared.

Now travel to 1800 or 1814.