Listen free for 30 days
Listen with offer
-
The Scottish Clearances
- A History of the Dispossessed, 1600-1900
- Narrated by: Ruth Urquhart
- Length: 13 hrs and 53 mins
Failed to add items
Add to basket failed.
Add to wishlist failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
£0.00 for first 30 days
The Scottish Clearances
Buy Now for £15.99
No valid payment method on file.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Summary
Eighteenth-century Scotland is famed for generating many of the enlightened ideas which helped to shape the modern world. But there was in the same period another side to the history of the nation. Many of Scotland's people were subjected to coercive and sometimes violent change, as traditional ways of life were overturned by the "rational" exploitation of land use. The Scottish Clearances is a superb and highly original account of this sometimes terrible process, which changed the Lowland countryside forever, as it also did, more infamously, the old society of the Highlands.
This pioneering book is the first to chart this tumultuous saga in one volume, with due attention to evictions and loss of land in both north and south of the Highland line. In the process, old myths are exploded and familiar assumptions undermined. With many fascinating details and the sense of an epic human story, The Scottish Clearances is an evocative memorial to all whose lives were irreparably changed in the interests of economic efficiency.
This is a story of forced clearance, of the destruction of entire communities and of large-scale emigration. Some winners were able to adapt and exploit the new opportunities, but there were also others who lost everything. The clearances created the landscape of Scotland today, but it came at a huge price.
Listeners also enjoyed...
What listeners say about The Scottish Clearances
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Hjaltland
- 26-12-22
Clearance
A packed and informative history of Scotland. Lots of information that explains the different experiences of highland and lowland Scotland. Really enjoyed and learned from this!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance2 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Colin Fraser
- 26-03-22
An essential read
An outsider of Scotland will be confused by the response if they try and repeat some of the place names to native Scots as pronounced in this very good and important book. Some of the Gàidhlig is horrible also. A wee bit of research by the reader wouldn't have gone a miss.
Don't let this put you of. This is one of the most important and necessary books about Scots and our Scottish history ever to have been written.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Maire Reier
- 08-05-23
very good info
very informative. I had to slow it down a tad as there is a lot to pay attention to. And now have bought a physical book as well to revisit. Such an important account, and very useful for my understanding of Scotland on my coming visit to it. History books just talk about chiefs and kings/queens, but the regular folk stuff is more important.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Harry_Bristol
- 28-07-24
Very in depth and interesting
Great book as a comprehensive look at clearance across Scotland. I learnt a lot, especially about the lowlands and central belt, rather than just the famous highland displacements. Some of the Gaelic pronunciation was incorrect, but overall the narrator was good.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall1 out of 5 stars
-
Performance1 out of 5 stars
-
Story1 out of 5 stars
- nicola beckett
- 26-04-24
Utter rubbish
That lack of truth. It talked about Scotland and Gaelic like they were different things but at this time everyone in Scotland spoke Gaelic, it’s not like it was split into two countries. And there was a massive difference between the highlands and lowlands so of course the clearances and genocide was worse for them.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall2 out of 5 stars
-
Performance1 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- tracy
- 27-11-21
Narrator butchers anything Scottish
Listening to the narrator attempting anything remotely Gaelic is like nails on a chalkboard, had to give up.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful