Agriculture
History has played a large part in shaping the nature of agriculture in the Highlands and Islands firstly through the clan system, then through the clearances and finally through crofting.
The clan system remained in place in the Highlands until the 17th century. Land was held communally and clan members farmed their land to feed themselves and their families. Traditional loyalty to the clan held them together.
Following the Jacobites' defeat at Culloden in 1746, the clan system broke down. Landownership based on feudal law soon ousted the old communal rights to the land. Clan chiefs became the new landlords and began to lease large areas of land to tacksmen, their main tenants. They in turn rented land to sub-tenants or tenants-at-will. The rest of the people found themselves landless cottars.
19th century farming
With population increasing early in the 19th century the land came under pressure. More food had to be grown. Rents rose as Estates strived for greater profitability through the introduction of sheep farming. Tenants were cleared to the coast to make way for sheep. The landlords created small plots for them called crofts, but the new crofters lacked security of tenure. Many found work kelp harvesting and fishing.
The Potato Famine of the mid 19th century made things worse and many emigrated. Crofters began to press for legal rights to the land they relied on and, eventually, their determination led to the passing of the Crofters' Act in 1886. This gave them protection from eviction through security of tenure.
Farming today
Agriculture is still vital to the Highland economy. The pattern of land use set out in the 18th and 19th centuries continues, with many small units run part-time and fewer large full-time farms.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
If a book listed in the bibliography below is available from the Highland Libraries it will be indicated by a book icon - 
Thompson, Francis
Crofting Years
Devine, T.M
Clanship to Crofters' War
Mackenzie, John
Pigeon holes of memory
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