Ruins of stone structures are everywhere

Skye island is peppered everywhere with abandoned stone structures. Around 1800, the island had subsistence tenant farm villages everywhere. Then the landlord changed land use from farming to sheep. The tenant farms were not needed and all the farmers were asked to leave the land. Scottish history calls this time period “The Clearances”. These stone structures is what remains from the past abandoned economy of 1800.

Many of these people emigrated to Canada, America and other British Commonwealth countries.

Today, the economy is sheep and tourists. Most of the land is empty bogs, pasture and mountains.Read more