Lowland Clearances

The Lowland Clearances were a series of events in the 18th and 19th centuries when landowners in southern Scotland changed agricultural practices, often replacing traditional small-scale farms with larger, more profitable sheep farms. This process led to the eviction of many tenant farmers and their families from their homes and lands. The Clearances were driven by economic motives, improving productivity and profitability for landowners, but they caused significant social disruption and hardship for those displaced. These events significantly affected local communities, leading to migration, especially to cities or abroad, and reshaping the social landscape of the Lowlands.