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Books on West Highlands history

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 Only a hill 19 Feb 2015
I'm looking for recommendations on books about the natural and social history of the West Highlands. I seem to have collected a lot of specific knowledge about certain events or places, but my overall historical knowledge of the area is lacking.

I'm mainly interested in the 17th-19th centuries and am really looking for books that provide a good historical background of the area in that period. I'm interested in the Jacobite rebellion and the Highland Clearances, but would prefer books that give a more complete overview rather than focusing on those topics alone.

Any recommendations?
 tony 19 Feb 2015
In reply to Only a hill:

Do you want to borrow a facsimile copy of Martin Martin's "Description of the Western Islands of Scotland? It's a bit early, published in 1716, and it is only the islands, but it's very interesting.

Fraser Darling's classic "The Highlands and Islands" is a comprehensive look at the natural history of the Highlands and islands, published in 1964, which has some historical notes which might be useful. It also has a fairly extensive bibliography which might point you in the right direction - I can do you a scan and email the bibliography if it helps.

More recently, "Scotland: Mapping the nation" is a gorgeous book which looks at all sorts of aspects of Scottish history through the perspective of maps.


Douglas Griffin 19 Feb 2015
In reply to Only a hill:

The Making of the Crofting Community, and Last of the Free: A History of the Highlands & Islands of Scotland, both by James Hunter. Both essential reading; the former deals specifically with the Clearances and their aftermath; the latter is a more general history of the Highlands & Islands - from a Highland perspective.

On the Other Side of Sorrow, by the same author, is also magnificent. Challenges the widely-held idea of the Highlands being a largely-unspoilt wilderness.
 Doug 19 Feb 2015
In reply to Only a hill:

The classic on natural history would be the New Naturalist 'The Natural History of the Highlands and Islands' by Fraser Darling (& Morton Boyd for the 2nd edition). Now old & a bit dated, the paperback edition is often on offer quite cheaply in 2nd hand bookshops.

I've always enjoyed James Hunter's history books, have you read "Last of the Free: A History of the Highlands and Islands of Scotland: A Millennial History of the Highlands and Islands of Scotland" ? if not it would be a good start.
1
In reply to Only a hill:

On the Highland Clearances, Prebble's book is very detailed and thorough … but it is just on the Highland Clearances.
 Hat Dude 19 Feb 2015
In reply to Only a hill:

"Culloden", "The Highland Clearances" and "Glencoe" by John Prebble are very readable

The Peter Watkins film "Culloden" produced for the BBC, on which John Prebble was historical advisor is brilliant IMO.
 PeterM 19 Feb 2015

The Highland Clearances by Eric Richards

OP Only a hill 19 Feb 2015
In reply to Only a hill:

Thanks for the recommendations, all. Keep 'em coming!
drmarten 19 Feb 2015
In reply to Only a hill:

New Ways Through The Glens - ARB Haldane, covers the later period of your interest and deals with transport routes in the Highlands and the road/canal work that was carried out.

Douglas Griffin 19 Feb 2015
In reply to Only a hill:

Wouldn't recommend you read all of this, but even just the opening paragraphs (which have become famous) are worth a look:
http://www.whc.uhi.ac.uk/research/napier-commission
"'I cannot bear evidence to the distress of my people without bearing evidence to the oppression of the landlord and his factor..."
drmarten 19 Feb 2015
In reply to Only a hill:

I visisted Croick Church while in the area a couple of years back, it pushed me back to John Prebble's book which tells the story of the Church and the evicted tenants seeking refuge in the grounds. It was with a mixture of sadness and anger that I read the messages etched on the windows.

John Prebble, The Highland Clearances, p.225

"When they took shelter in the graveyard at Croick, some of the people scratched their names and brief
messages on the diamond paned windows of the church. They wrote in English, as if acknowledging that
their own tongue would pass with them and would not be understood in time. The words they wrote are
still there :
'Glencalvie people was in the church here May 24, 1845.... Glencalvie people the wicked generation...
John Ross Shepherd... Glencalvie people was here ... Amy Ross ... Glencalvie is a wilderness blow
ship them to the colony... The Glencalvie Rosses ... "


 the abmmc 19 Feb 2015
In reply to Only a hill:

It's also worth reading Seton Gordon's Highways and Byways of the Western Highlands. Written by a posh guy who seemed to prefer the company of shepherds and gamekeepers.......and pipers. Great naturalist and chronicler of stories.
His Central Highlands book is good too. What's coming next Alex?

Tom
OP Only a hill 20 Feb 2015
In reply to the abmmc:
> It's also worth reading Seton Gordon's Highways and Byways of the Western Highlands. Written by a posh guy who seemed to prefer the company of shepherds and gamekeepers.......and pipers. Great naturalist and chronicler of stories.

Cheers for the recommendation!

> What's coming next Alex?

Working on a few ideas ... my current project is partly set in the Deeside area in the late 1840s, partly in the Alps, but Knoydart is calling me as a setting. Watch this space!

My next immediate publication is actually a science fiction short story as part of an anthology (coming out on the 2nd of March). Something a little different, but the project has been great fun.
 the abmmc 20 Feb 2015
In reply to Only a hill:

Well the Highways and Byways in the central highlands has plenty about Deeside.

Tom
 Cuthbert 26 Feb 2015
In reply to Only a hill:

The Highlands by Calum Maclean cannot be bettered. He was the brother of Sorley Maclean and very well informed on multiple subjects. It's not a book about hills but it is a book about an area with lots of hills.

I would also recommend you research the 1872 education act, the Napier Commission and land ownership in the Highlands.
 rogerwebb 26 Feb 2015
In reply to Only a hill:

Alisdair MacColla and the Highland Problem in the 17th Century, David Stevenson.
The Campaigns of Montrose, Stuart Reid
For King and Conscience (John Graham of Claverhouse), Magnus Linklater & Christian Hesketh
Rob Roy MacGregor, W H Murray ( a lot of social history in that)
Glencoe and the Indians, James Hunter (perhaps slightly off topic as much about West Highlanders in America as in the West Highlands.

I've got more but I'll have to check the back shelves, but those 5 stuck in my mind, number 1 is superb but needs 2 as a little bit of a counterweight. Bill Murray's book is very good. In fact they all are.

Hope that helps,

Roger
 rogerwebb 26 Feb 2015
In reply to rogerwebb:

would second Douglas Griffin about James Hunter's A History of the Highlands and Islands (I knew there was another book in the back of my mind!)
Douglas Griffin 26 Feb 2015
In reply to rogerwebb:

> Rob Roy MacGregor, W H Murray ( a lot of social history in that)

Agree, Roger - a great book.

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