People were to scared to help their own friends and family who had been Cleared for they knew that to do so would mean the same fate being visited on them. The sheep farmers who were being brought in mainly from the Scottish Lowlands and Borders regions were made Justices of the Peace or, in many cases, Special Constables, which meant they were literally a law unto themselves. The people were totally powerless to do anything about this long drawn out genocide.

The people turned to the church for help but the Church of Scotland was the Church of the landlords with the ministers being appointed by the land owners. It was clearly in their best interest not to criticize the landlords' methods and they told the common people that all the evictions were God's will and a chance for ignorant sinners to repent.

In 1843 The Free Church of Scotland came about as a result of this when some conscientious ministers left The Church of Scotland in protest at what was happening to their innocent parishioners. In an act of retaliation the landlords told the people that when they were Cleared and re-settled on new land they were expressly forbidden from building Free Churches. They were also forbidden from giving a Free Church minister shelter or refreshment.

Today the Free Church of Scotland is more oppressive than any one. The Christian church as whole, Free Church of Scotland, Church of Scotland and Roman Catholic, has played a huge role in this cultural genocide. Some quotes collected from people living in the Highlands and Islands and written down by Alexander Carmichael at the start of this century show just how quickly a people can be made to forget their old, traditional ways.

Written and published by the Highland Clearances Memorial Fund

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