Читать книгу The Isle of Mull. Mull, Ulva, Gometra, Iona and Erraid онлайн

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As with many of the Scottish islands, Mull suffered its share of grief under the so-called Highland Clearances, and it would be temptingly incorrect to assume that all the houses found derelict by the roadside are the by-product of the Clearances; in fact, many of the houses were still inhabited in the 20th century. Evidence of the Clearances is, however, found all over the islands. Twenty crofters and three townships were cleared in Mishnish in the north of the island in 1842. Glengorm suffered hugely at the hands of James Forsyth, with wholesale clearances of crofts and townships. Four centres were cleared in Calgary in 1822, while in Treshnish three townships were cleared in 1862. Ulva and Gometra saw arguably the most extensive destruction when 100 people were evicted between 1846 and 1851, and were soon followed by the remaining inhabitants of the islands.

River Bellart and Loch a’ Chumhainn, Dervaig

The main settlement on Mull today is Tobermory, which in 1788 was built by the British Fisheries Society, as a planned settlement. Over the centuries Mull’s population increased, reaching 10,638 in 1831, but the potato famine and then the Clearances rapidly reduced this number. By the 20th century much of the population had emigrated and there were more sheep on Mull than people.