A Modern Scottish View of Clans (and Gathering)

[Phil]

I'm still rather fascinated with the state of land ownership in Scotland (is it the same in England?). I worked several stints on a sheep croft in Sutherland, and when the owner told me that she owned her house but not the land it sat on... I couldn't get my head around it! Apparently all the land that her village sat on belonged to some Lady Such-and-such (given to her as a birthday present). I imagine it's like having an absentee landlord, but if the landlord is also a slum lord you're really f'd. And it's even worse cause you OWN your house and caint just up and leave... I can certainly understand Phil's frustration and cynicism after having to deal with that in a day to day real life scenario. I've certainly had my share of slum landlords.

The "Lady Such-and-Such would be the Duchess of Sutherland who owns vast tracts there and whose forebears were responsible for some of the cruellest clearances in the Highlands. Even although people were able to buy land and build a house on it, they remained as feudal vassals to the feudal superior and had to pay an annual charge. Bettyhill in Sutherlansd was named after Elizabeth, Duchess of Sutherland and was one of the places displaced clansmen were relocated to from the glens to make way for sheep. As I said this mediaeval system persisted until the 1970's and if you wanted to make any changes to your house you had to go, cap in hand, to your "superior" for permission. Scotland has since progressed by abolishing this relic of feudalism (even though we had to pay off the superior) and we even have "right to roam" legislation where we can walk over any part of Scotland we wish. Communities can get together and buy their lands from these absentee landlords even if they don't want to sell and the iniquitous situation where wealthy individuals such as Lord Leverhulme could own whole islands such as Lewis and Harris and all the people on them is slowly being put right.

[gilmore]

...Even although people were able to buy land and build a house on it, they remained as feudal vassals to the feudal superior and had to pay an annual charge. Bettyhill in Sutherlansd was named after Elizabeth, Duchess of Sutherland and was one of the places displaced clansmen were relocated to from the glens to make way for sheep. As I said this mediaeval system persisted until the 1970's ... Scotland has since progressed by abolishing this relic of feudalism (even though we had to pay off the superior) ...

My understanding is that it lasted until The Abolition of Feudal Tenure, etc., (Scotland) Act of 2000 went into effect on November 28, 2004, and did away with several sorts of colorful ancient yet basically oppressive ways of owning land in Scotland.

[Kerr the Walker]

As I said this mediaeval system persisted until the 1970's and if you wanted to make any changes to your house you had to go, cap in hand, to your "superior" for permission.

Sounds a lot like an Home Owners Association to me to me!