1830 (October 20) -- While stonemason Donald Macleod was off
working in Wick, his wife and children were surprised in their home:
...a party of eight men...entered my dwelling (at) about 3 o'clock, just as�The Highland Clearances
the family were rising from dinner. The party allowed no time for parley,
but having put out the family with violence, proceeded to fling out the furniture,
bedding and other effects in quick time, and after extinguishing the fire, proceeded
to nail up the doors and windows in the face of the helpless woman....
Messengers had (previously) been dispatched--warning all the surrounding
inhabitants, at the peril of similar treatment, against affording shelter, or assistance,
to wife, child, or animal belonging to Donald Macleod.
...After spending most part of the night in fruitless attempts to
obtain the shelter of a roof or hovel, my wife at last returned to
collect some of her scattered furniture, and (built) with her
own hands a temporary shelter against the walls of her late
comfortable residence...(but) the wind dispersed (the) materials
as fast as she could collect them. Buckling up her children...in the best
manner she could, she left them in charge of the eldest (who was only
seven years old), giving them such victuals as she could collect, and prepared
to take the road for Caithness (in search of her husband). She had not proceeded
many miles when she met with a good Samaritan and acquaintance...Donald
Macdonald, who, disregarding the danger incurred, opened his door to her,
refreshed and consoled her, and still under cover of night, accompanied
her to the dwelling of (a friend), William Innes...of Sandside.
A site dedicated to the remembrance of the massive eviction of residents in Scotland's highlands and islands in the 18th and 19th centuries
