Clearances query

Brian Wilson provides an interesting travesty of the In Our Time broadcast on the Highland Clearances, rubbishing three top academics of Scottish history in the process (“The Clearances were not a myth, despite the jaw-dropping claims of The Three Professors”, 16 March).

I do hope this does not deter our MSPS from all listening to it; indeed, none should vote further on land reform matters till they have.

There was no suggestion that the Clearances were a myth, but Prof Sir Tom Devine’s central point was that: “The vast majority of the people left the Highlands because of difficulties of circumstance, and opportunities elsewhere, and not because of eviction.”

He contrasted the assistance of Scottish chiefs to their clans at the start of the potato famine with that of the Irish landlords whilst Brian conflates practices in the two countries.

The programme emphasised the complexity of the problem, and yes, the mythology and exaggeration that has grown out of it.

But who knew that in the late 19th century experts from abroad visited Highland Scotland to see “how a small country with tough land had achieved such excellence in agronomy”.

In much the same way Scotland’s Limited Partnership system of agricultural tenure was held up to the United Nations 100 years later as one of three examples of international best practice; only to be abolished by our parliament shortly afterwards.

Never let the facts stand in the way of a good chip on the shoulder. HECTOR MACLEAN Balnaboth, Kirriemuir