Still suffering from the cruelty and injustice of the Highland Clearances, the crofters who remained in Skye in the 1880s were dealt a new blow when they were denied access to what had once been common grazing land by landowner Lord Macdonald, effectively destroying their means of earning a living and feeding their families.
In defiance of the ban, the crofters of Braes began to form an organised movement, grazing their livestock on the hill known as Ben Lee, and withholding their rents. The ringleaders were quickly identified, their eviction papers drawn up and additional sheriff officers and police were brought in to carry out the evictions.
The bloody clash that ensued on the 19th of April 1882 became known as The Battle of The Braes and played a vital role in land reform in Scotland in the following decades. This exhibition explores the events leading up to the battle, the battle itself, the aftermath, and its legacy.
Click on the images below to explore the exhibition.
