The Memorial Cairn to the Pairc Raiders Rembering the Land Heros, People of Lochs, of Lewis. Scotland. SCO 6310
This Monument was erected in memory of the People of Lochs who challenged the authority of the state in order to focus public attention on the poverty and injustice they suffered under the oppression of heartless landlords who disspossesed their forebears from over thirty villages in the Park. Their inspiration was Donals Mac Rae, schoolmaster at Balallan, who committed his life to the Highland Law and Reform movementand to the emancipation of the oppressed crofters and landless cotters. Over a long period of time Lady Matheson, Proprietrix of Lewis, ignored numerous pleas from landless families throughout lochs for permission to returnto some of the former villages in the Park from which their forebears had been evicted. Instead she converted the former 42,000 acre Park sheep farm into a sporting deer forest in 1886. On 22nd November 1887, crofters and cottars from Lochs having made their intention public, marched into the Park deer forest led by pipers and carrying flags. They confronted Mrs Platt, the lessee, and her gamekeeper at Seaforth Head and continued past them into the deer forest. The raiders made their camp at Airidh Dhomhnaill Chaim by the shore of Loch Seaforth where they assuaged their hunger on roast and boiled venison. Sheriff Fraser read the Riot Act at Ruadh Chleit, explaining its significance in Gaelic. By then the raider felt they had made their point and began to disperse, having killed a large number of deer. Six of the leaders of the raid were committed for trial at the High Court ion Edinburgh.
Size: 5620px × 3733px
Location: Loch Sannadabhat, Lewis, Outer Hebrides, Highland. Scotland.
Photo credit: © David Gowans / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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