How an Island Lost its People: Improvement, Clearance and Resettlement on Lismore, 1830 - 1914

by Robert Hay, James Hunter (Foreword)

In 1830, the little Hebridean island of Lismore was one of the granaries of the West Highlands, with every possible scrap of land producing bere barley or oats. The population had reached its peak of 1500, but by 1910, numbers had dwindled to 400 and were still falling. The agricultural economy had been almost completely transformed to support sheep and cattle, with ploughland replaced by the now familiar green grassy landscape.

With reference to documentary sources, including Poor Law reports, the report of the Napier Commission into the condition crofters in the Highlands and Islands, as well as local documents and letters, this book documents a century of emigration, migration and clearance and paints an intimate portrait of the island community during a period of profound change. At the same time, it also celebrates the achievements of the many tenants who grasped the opportunities involved in agricultural improvement.

266 pages, Paperback

First published November 15, 2015

About the author

Robert Hay lives on Lismore and is the archivist at the island heritage centre, Ionad Naomh Moluag. As a professional agricultural and environmental scientist, most recently at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, he has a particular interest in the history of land use.

Books include Lochnavando No More: The Life and Death of a Moray Farming Community 1750 - 1850 (2005), How an Island Lost its People: Improvement, Clearance and Resettlement on Lismore 1830 - 1914 (2013) and Lismore: The Great Garden (2015), He was a contributor to the Farming and the Land volume of Scottish Land and Society: A Compendium of Scottish Ethnology, published by John Donald in 2011.

Reviews

[Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating, compelling account of Lismore in the 19th century, putting flesh and blood into the characters involved and giving a balanced account of the island's history in relation to the land. Came across this in a book box in Taynuilt and thoroughly enjoyed reading about somewhere so nearby.