Highland Problems,1851 to 1953 (U01077)

? Credit Points : 40 ? SCQF Level : 10 ? Acronym : HCL-4-HIPROB

In the immediate aftermath of the potato famine in the Scottish Highlands a Report on Highland conditions by Sir John MacNeill recommended that assisted emigration should be employed to deal with the 'surplus population of the region'. In 1953 a Commission of Enquiry into Crofting Conditions considered the issue of how to reform land tenure in order to revitalise the Highlands. Between these two dates the Scottish Highlands were one of the major issues in Scottish politics. The bulk of this course will consider the period from 1880 to c1925, encompassing the Crofters' War, the granting of security of tenure to Highland crofters and government attempts to place more land at the disposal of crofters. The main theme will be the variety of approaches adopted by governments of the period to cope with the problems presented by the Highlands. The background to the problems which the government perceived will be examined in depth. A key component of the course will be to place the developments in a wider context, for example, in terms of changes in landownership in Scotland and Britain, the relationship between the Highland land issue, party ideology and Westminster Politics, or the development of policy in other areas of the British Isles, e.g. Ireland or Wales.

Entry Requirements

? Pre-requisites : A pass in a third level historical course or equivalent.

Subject Areas

Home subject area

Scottish History, (School of History and Classics, Schedule E)

Delivery Information

? Normal year taken : 4th year

? Delivery Period : Not being delivered

? Contact Teaching Time : 2 hour(s) per week for 22 weeks

All of the following classes

Type	Day	Start	End	Area
Lecture	Tuesday	11:10	13:00	Central

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

Through completion of this course students should not only have gained knowledge and understanding of this period of Scottish History but should have had some experience of the following skills:
- Critical reading of primary and secondary sources
- Completion of independent research leading to seminar presentation and submission of written work to a required standard.
- Participation in group seminar work and an appreciation of the responsibility to other members of the group that such work entails.