Clearance and Improvement: Land, Power and People in Scotland, 1700-1900

Documenting the great transformation of rural Scotland between the early 17th century and 1900, this complete collection of essays by a renowned historian examines why this extraordinary era—most often associated with failure, famine, and clearance in Gaeldom—is remembered as one of improvement in the Lowlands. Highlighting how the social and economic benefits of revolution prompted increase in production of food and raw materials—which in turn sustained the remarkable growth of towns and cities over this period—in folk memory of Scotland, the social and cultural costs loomed far larger, with loss of land for many thousands of families and the rise of individualism at the expense of neighborhood. Addressing why both parts of Scotland responded so differently to the revolutionary changes during this period, this fascinating account is a thoughtful insight to an issue at the very heart of the nation's past.