Scottish Clearances

The Scottish Clearances were a series of 18th and 19th-century events where many tenants were forcibly removed from their ancestral lands, primarily to make way for large-scale sheep farming and modernization. These changes aimed to increase efficiency and profits for landlords but often led to social upheaval and depopulation in rural areas. Many displaced families migrated to cities or abroad, especially to North America. The Clearances profoundly impacted Scottish society, culture, and landscape, leaving a legacy of landowning conflicts and diaspora communities.