The Clearances and 19th-Century Transformations

One of the most traumatic periods in Tiree’s history was the era of the Highland Clearances during the 18th and 19th centuries.

Agricultural Change and Evictions


Landowners, seeking to increase profits, forcibly evicted many tenants from traditional crofts and farms to make way for sheep farming and large-scale pastoral agriculture. While the Clearances were more intense in other parts of the Highlands, Tiree experienced depopulation and social disruption.

Families were displaced, emigrating to the Americas, Australia, or mainland Scotland. This led to a decline in population and traditional ways of life.

Emigration and Diaspora


Many islanders from Tiree joined the Scottish diaspora, particularly in Canada and the United States. Descendants of Tiree emigrants still maintain cultural links to the island, preserving traditions such as Gaelic language and music. shutdown123

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