Scotland to Canada: Volunteers or Victims of Highland Clearances 

Nova Scotians are very proud of their Scottish heritage!

On Cape Breton Island in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, many Scots moved here from the Highland Clearances. Their influence is ever-present, many signs are bilingual in both English and Gàidhlig, there are Gaidhlig courses in the school curriculum, and a MacDonald in every town. The geography of Cape Breton is also reminiscent of Scottish Highlands too! Thanks for the video Bruce, slàinte!

There is a tiny hamlet in Oxford, County, Ontario called Golspie. The first inhabitants were the Sutherland's and Mackay's from Sutherland forced to leave because of the clearances. There was nothing but wilderness when they got there. The first winter must have been brutal! My great, great, great grandparents were part of that iron strong faction of Northern Scots!

I was adopted.. My birth mother, whom I got to meet was a MacKay. Her family immigrated to the USA in the late 1700's. They were part of the clearances. My Father was named Ross Lamb. He was named after he Grandmother Ross who descended from the Rosses of Banalgown* that fought Cromwell and lost. They were brought to Maryland as indentured servants because of that loss. My people have those connections to Scotland and a few more. I really enjoy your videos they help to fill up a lot of cracks in family knowledge if not directly experienced, I'm sure is close to what they experienced. I'm also an amateur genealogist and have traced these lines. I am Patreon because I enjoy your talent. Keep it up. Thank You

My people arrived in Pictou back then. They didn't move far though, because I grew up in Pictou County myself.

My grandfather was a “dreamer” born in 1904, to an undocumented Scottish mom, who crossed from Toronto to Brooklyn, NY. Her father was cleared, tried to make it in Canada, but his children all left for the USA, on the QT. Thank you Bruce, interesting and comforting to know what people went through.

My moms 3 sisters were born in Scotland, she was the first born in Canada. Yet still the blood is Strong,& the heart is Highland & we in dreams behold the Hebrides.

This is the story of my ancestors. Hugh MacGillivray (sometimes written as McGilivra or McGillivray) and his wife Cirsty (MacNeil) were part of the clearances of Mull and Iona in 1849. The were in their late 60's and died that first winter because of it. Of their 8 children, three died as paupers, 1 went to Glasgow to find work. 2 stayed by the coast. Their youngest son went to Australia, and their second oldest son Donald and his wife Anne (MacDonald) took their children (my great great grandmother Mary was 8/9 at the time of the clearances.) They came to Canada. There they took up the offer of 100 acres of bushland if they agreed to work and clear it. My gr gr gr grandfather got permission to use his bushland to start up the first sawmill in the area, and he used his land to supply lumber to the homesteaders around the area. He prospered and did very well for himself. His descendants (including myself) still live in the area to this day.

I live in Alberta and many of the place names like Calgary, Airdrie, Dunmore, Carstairs and Innisfail are an indication of just how important the early Scottish settlers were to the development of Canada. The land in Manitoba settled by the people from Sutherland was undoubtedly more fertile than that which was offered to them in Scotland, but the prairie winters would have been unlike anything they had ever seen. It's amazing how many of them not only survived, but thrived.

There's volunteering, and there's Voluntold!

What a history Scotland has! You make it funny even though so sad, thanks!

Bruce, I'm blaming you, and your Turkish border walk, for me spitting my coffee oot onto my iPad screen! 😂 Brilliant as always and when travelling becomes the norm again we'll be taking a trip to the Golspie Inn. Keep up the guid work...

The Scottish influenced a great deal of Manitoba and Canada. it can still be seen to this day. Winnipeg many neighborhoods like East Kildonan, Old Kildonan . More impressive is the amount of descendants that are here, despite the hardships.

And many of those from Nova Scotia built their own ships and sailed to Waipu New Zealand. Incredible migration story to Canada

I know the Golspie Inn well having spent a night there (by chance) on my grand tour of Scotland some fifteen years ago. I also knew the relative of owners of it who held it for some time in the intervening period between my visit and Bruce's. I'm also the descendent of Canadian Scots. It's a small world!

As always, great video. How about something in the emigration to Nova Scotia of those on the Hector in 1773? As I understand, initially the Scottish land owners were against emigration because they feared the loss of labor. When sheep became more valuable than people, they encouraged people to leave, thus, the clearances. I’ve also read that while many poor from the clearances came to Canada, most stayed in Scotland where they remained impoverished. Most of those who went to British North America were okay financially.

The story of my mother's family...The Mackays of Wick...pushed to the margins of Northern Scotland by the clearances they eventually left to join their fellow highlanders in Western Canada. Thanks again Bruce.

Honestly can’t say how much I enjoy your euphemisms sir. God bless That’s why the Amish call Americans English, probably displayed the mindset of the crown

I love listening 🎧 to your "stories" at work.

Many of the Scots wound up on the Rocky Shores of Cape Breton which is where the idea of Scots on the Rocks was first conceived .

Aye Bruce...greetings again, you have touched a nerve from something I know little of but I am becoming educated about for sure. Being a decendant from what apears to be a paternal relative on my grandfathers side perhaps from this era you are speaking of or there abouts. His name was Laughlin MacKendrick B:1734 Argyll, Scotland D:1817 Princetown, Prince, Prince Edward Island, Canada, his father who past in Scotland who was also of Argyll found his son becoming an imigrant in that foreign land you so speak of here. Your creative way discribing the land, the history and the troubles living of these times draws me to imagine my very family going as far back to 1683. Thank you for these wonderful experience you share!

A nice outry would've been the painting "Lochaber no more". Its like a kick in the stones everytime I've seen it. Slante Bruce.

My ancestors- the MacKinnons, came over from the Isle of Muck and landed in Pictou county and then settled in East Lake Ainslie and Cape Breton ❤

The red river jig is still a thing here in Canada 🇨🇦. The Diefenbaker Center is in the university Saskatoon Saskatchewan Canada 🇨🇦

My maiden name is Gunn. My Grandfather, Alexander Gunn traveled with his wife, Christiana, and youngest son, William, to Manitoba during the clearances. Unfortunately Christiana died of typhus on the way. They were dropped off at York Factory and had to walk to Hudson Bay then paddle south through lakes and rivers to get to the Selkirk Settlement. (They were piped on the walk by a man named Robert 'Piper' Gunn). When they arrived at the settlement the Pemmican Wars were happening and members of the Northwest Company offered to take some settlers over to Ontario to be safe. Alexander and William were two who went along. Later Alexander's oldest son, John Cheney Gunn, and his wife, Nancy Anna Sutherland, moved to the Selkirk Settlement and stayed, this is where my family is originated from. Side note: recently 'met' online a relative who is from William Gunn's line in Ontario.

Well, this was a settlement point for some of my ancestry I'm just not sure of time period. Coming to Canada was no treat either. Settlers had to survive Manitoba winters, which are arguably some of the worst outside of the far North. Plus to people of that time traveling to North America was not unlike traveling off world...the "New World". Many tales of community and interactions with First Nations, eventually more eastern Europeans came and settled. Peaceful farmers, self educated, humble and steadfast. The back bone of what became Canada.

I am descended from the red river settler. I heard this story before but did not know the back story. Very interesting.

I'd like to see our dude do a Tour de Canada, doin highland ( or other regional festivals ) all the way from C.B. to Vancouver. It'd be a smash !

Great video Bruce!! Kinda demonstrated how the law back in those days was only for those who could afford it, the rich and powerful. Some might say we are slowly heading back that way, but in modern terms 🤔🤔. I wonder 🤔

Great video... so glad you made this one. These are my people.

Very interesting videos about the lowland and highland clearances especially as my relatives come from Strath Kildonan and Caithness as well as Orkney and emigrated to Otago New Zealand in 1880.

Well done young Bruce. Another tale well told.

The Turkish border crossing 😭. I think I have to put a time cap on when I can watch your stuff. I may or may not have woken the house with that howl of laughter (worth it)

Enjoy your videos. A Scot that had a big impact on NS was Rev John Sprott, and his story is well documented but not well know. His son Rev G W Sprott book “ Memorials of the Rev. John Sprott” is a great history of a Scottish immigrants story in early Canada. Great subject for a future video

They also didn't know it would be minus 35 or colder in the winter, I bet. Manitoba is one of Canada's coldest lower regions. And it's very flat. Not a mountain in sight. They don't call it Winterpeg (Winnipeg) for nothing. There's a Canadian author Pierre Berton who said that the Scots were one of the preferred settlers as the English who came over at first were mostly second son heirs, gentlemen and etc and didn't want to do any work at all but the Scots were known to be very hard workers and good farmers...

I only recently learned about the Highland clearances. It explains why there are so many Scottish communities scattered around Canada. I live right near a town called Saint Andrews which was settled by Scotsmen in the early 19th century.

There is a Bannerman Avenue in Winnipeg... my Nana lived there in the early 70's... Grandfather's side emigrated to the settlement in 1812 . Thanks Bruce ... enlightening to my own personal family history!

The ‘Emigrants’ statue you were stood in front of was commissioned by a Helmsdale emigrant to Canada Mr Dennis MacLeod, Dennis returned to the highlands bringing his company and family with him from Canada. Being a fervent supporter of Scottish Indy and a friend of a certain AS he found himself being hamstrung by the then Labour government to the point he again left the highlands for Canada. He died in 2019 and The National ran a centre spread obituary on him.

This is really interesting. I knew a bit about the Red River colony, but this adds another layer of sorrow onto what is already a pretty sad tale. Thanks for doing this.

Another excellent video uncovering untold truths of history.

I am a descendant of Scottish immigrants to Canada. However, family legend says that some at least came over on a ship called the Hector that landed in Pictou (locally pronounced Pick toe) in 1773.

this guy makes me laugh so hard he need more recognition!! he is telling a history that is undertold

Love your channel My family came to the Rupertsland settlement in 1812 with the Selkirk settlers but I didn’t know why until now. Keep up the great content

Who can say no to a cream scone like that?! Great video Bruce, my knowledge of the Highland clearances are very little (the joys of an English schooling, hey?) so great to learn more.

Interesting, my Scottish ancestor went to the US (colonies) in 1669, but didn't move to Canada until 1810. So I am Scottish American Canadian, eh?

Thank you, Bruce. Always informative and a pleasure to watch your videos.

Thanks for another great video! My great-great-great-grandfather was a McLean who settled in Red River around the 1850s, I believe. If you haven’t already read it I highly recommend No Great Mischief by Alistair MacLeod. Beautiful novel about a family of MacDonalds in Nova Scotia. Title comes from what General Wolfe said about the Highlanders fighting at the Plains of Abraham - “they are hardy, intrepid, accustomed to a rough country, and no great mischief if they fall.”

Wow. John diefenbaker. I met him in White Rock BC in the 1970 period. He was retired must have been 80 years old, sharp bright eyes. He was someone who generated energy. I knew a guy named Bonnyman in the army. In 1965. At that time the largest ethnic group in Canada was Scottish Irish

Love your channel mate, you remind me of a younger version of my high school history teacher Mr.Henry lol Keep at it, your attracting alot of young interested minds !

@🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Scotland History Tours w/Bruce Fummey 8:50-8:54 the look in your face Brucy .... Priceless 🤣🤣😂🤣😂😂🤣😂

The irony of this was that the 93rd Foot, commonly known as the Sutherland Highlanders was defending the Cape Colony for the King. As those men served on the Cape Frontier, so their families were betrayed at home.

3:44 fuckin brilliant man i woke up the neighbor howling laughing 🤣🤣🤣

Thanks for that video, my wife and myself came from Merseyside to live in Brora some 38 years ago. That is the first time I have heard the full story or at least a large part of it. I have subscribed and look foreward to more videos.

I grew up in Calgary and Airdie in Alberta. Not to far from Canmore. Scottish influence is all over Canada:)

I have a story about how people affected by the highland clearances found their way to Canada. Archibald, 17th Laird MacNab, inherited the estate in Glen Dochart and the manorhouse at Killin on the death of his uncle Francis MacNab, in 1816. He also inherited untenable debts and he was faced with the prospect of selling the land and seeing his people turned out as many others had been. I suppose the rents paid by his tenants could no longer cover the taxes and cost of a baronial lifestyle in London and Edinburgh. Archibald had cousins in Upper Canada who were in a position to help him out. They arranged for him the "trusteeship" of a new township in the south of Renfrew County with a townsite at the confluence of the Madawaska and Ottawa Rivers. He undertook to support the immigration of a number of highland families, in return for a generous land grant in the township. At the time it was customary for the government to give settlers title to a parcel of land after they had made certain improvements to it. If their costs had been paid for by some other person then their indenture contract would have to be fulfilled before the title was transferred to them. Now Archibald MacNab was a traditional highland laird, and he had some fixed ideas about land ownership that didn't normally apply in Upper Canada. He was going to be the Laird and his settlers were going to be his tenants, in perpetuity. People on their arrival in Upper Canada tended pretty quickly to discard the traditional manners and accoutrements of the Old World, so the Laird MacNab must have cut an impressive figure, clad in kilt and bonnet, always preceded on important occasions by his piper. He was impressive enough in the salons of the colony's elite that he was able to maintain his status as the Laird of McNab Township, his tenants paying rent and forced to work on his personal projects, for close on to twenty years. It was some years after the Upper Canada Rebellion of 1837 and the declining power of the Family Compact before the settlers of NcNab Township were able to get legal title to their land. The story is not well known in Canada. There is an entry on Archibald McNab in the Dictionary of Canadian Biography (vol. 8E), biographi.ca I first read about this in Joan Finnigan's book, Some of the Stories You Told Me Were True (you can google it). My grandmother's paternal great grandfather, James McNee, was McNab's piper. She always reminded my brother and I that we are descended from Rob Roy McGregor.

I'm not from here but I'm currently sitting in the town where Diefenbaker lived and is buried. I found it interesting that his ancestor did all of that and yet there's a neighborhood called "Sutherland" that used to be a railroad town until it got annexed in 1956. I'm guessing that either a lot of people who were relocated from Scotland didn't make the move to Saskatchewan, the railroad didn't care, or that had faded from historical memory by the survivors by the start of the 20th Century. Maybe more than one or all of the above reasons.

This was such an interesting video. I subscribed ! You should make a video about Scotland’s link to New Scotland (Nova Scotia in Canada.) Some of my family immigrated there. Also, I like sense of humour lol. The Turkish boarder joke…😂

Now this video is fascinating after the last one especially!!

"linoeluem made in Kirkcaldy' lol I know parts of this story and you still make it fresh! (Researched the Sutherlands to make a fictional version on Mull for my novel The Keening) 💕

What a glorious story teller. I find myself actually disappearing into his history story ❤

Recently I started a film project around me following my dreams of owning a sail boat and sailing to connect with my ancestors. It was been turning into a massive uncomfortable history lesson that has been leaving me even more questions about how my ancestors ended up in the navy and in Leith and ultimately Manitoba instead of the province of Sutherland (of which we are named) your videos have been helping a lot

Interesting 🤔 I'm doing similar things on a new RU-vid channel I'm a make I have Scotts who are Scottish Canadian as well as just Scottish first video will be about a family last name and origin created by a group of Scottish Canadians. Very cool to see you talk about other Scots who moved to other countries

Great video, Bruce!

Thanks for your wonderful story :)

As I hear it, it was the custom of the ancient Celts to hold their lands in common and to elect their leaders. It makes one wish there had never been a Julius Caesar or a Gaius Suetonius Paullinus or a Wlliam, Duke of Normandy. Maybe we'd all the world over have been better off. Of course, the Celts did tend to keep the heads of their enemies in a box but we all have our pecadilloes.

Brilliant Thank you

Another great video:)

I recently learn that on my moms side of the family we had ancestors from scotland who found work in Canada with the fur trades. They ended up mixing with the native americans and became known as the Métis people. Its basically a cultural mix of scottish, french, and native american cultures and people. But sadly after the british canadian government started to take their lands and suppress their laungages and culture a lot of them moved away and/or assimilated. Which is what my family did once they came to the U.S.

Look at all this land, if only we could find people to live in it! *blinks in Cree*

My family is originally from Scotland and they come to Toronto Canada after WW2 and I am a part of the Bell clan

I really want to join one of your tours with my family once things are good again. Wonderful country.

Thanks again Bruce!!

Thanks for this when my clan was forced to leave Scotland 40% died we settled in Inverness Nova Scotia and have a cairn for my clan the MacDougalls Buidah No Bas!

Linoleum made in Kirkaldy?! My maternal great grandparents came from there, too. And...you put cream first, then the jam?...hmmm...interesting 😉

The governor of Ruperts Land and Assiniboia (where the Red River Colony was located) between 1858-1870 was William MacTavish, the hereditary Chief of Clan MacTavish. Neither he nor his father had matriculated the arms - resulting in the clan's dormancy until 1997 when William's great-grandson matriculated. William MacTavish was criticized by both sides for his handling of the Red River Rebellion because of his inaction; his wife was Metis and he sympathized with the rebels, but didn't help them as he has the governor of the region.

as scotland became more British and changed due to immigration into the country, the decendants of Scottish immigrants on the East coast of Canada continued to hold firmly onto the culture and way of life from Scotland. So it could be said we are more Scottish then those in scotland, we still have the culture, the language, place names, clan identity, and the stories/history plus there's more people of Scottish heritage in canada than there is people in scotland.

What a sin that happened to my ancestors. Still, I thank god every day I was born in Canada 🇨🇦🇨🇦

So interesting learning about my moms side of the family whos last name is Sutherland

My Dad had a value of buying and owning land even though he came from working class stock that used to be upper class and noble (think real life Tess of the D'urbervilles). He got that value from his Dad and family. Watching these videos I can understand why they were that way. If my Dad were alive; there is no way he could afford that same land today.

I tried to educate a lad, 22 years ago whose Mother had told him he had roots in Sutherland. I tried to to give himalittle of his own possible history. He was too much into gangsta -rap to get much out of it, I think. The one time that I made it to the guid place, I , as a Canadian felt I was among kin. When I first heard a Sikh or an East-Asian talking in broad Scots it threw me a bit but then I thought to myself, "What a Wonderful World " .

Even growing up in Scotland I feel like I missed hearing about so much of this. Certainly school never said a word. Thank you, truly, for filling in the gaps

Great channel learned a lot about my own country.my uncles and cousins told me things about Scotland. When I was older and told other people,they looked at me and said where the hell did you learn Scottish history,made an ass of myself.oh well, no you’re their to straighten me out thanks.you ever get to Dunblane,wee hotel called the Westlands,tell them California sent you.they’ll take care of you. Thanks again.

Wow what a great guy and great channel! Watching and learning a lot the past few weeks. I am a Douglas, who currently lives in Minnesota, just south of Winnipeg. From what I have read the Earl of Selkirk, after seeing how bad some of the evicted were living, he felt it right to offer them someplace better. Bruce, no disrespect here and I mean none, but it sounded to me as if you were saying he was almost like working for the land owners and helping them move people, instead of being recognized as a caring, respected, Noble with a Heart. The exact opposite of the Duke who shall not be named.

Cheers from Canada. I'm second-generation born-here of Northern Scottish decent. My Dad's people came from the Isle of Lewis some time between the teens and the early 20's. My Mum's people came from Glasgow (although a line of them apparently reaches back to Canadian Loyalists) arrived around 1906. My Paternal Granny MacDonald came to Canada by herself, as a 'Scottish Cook'. It literally took me decades to find out that meant that she probably had a child out of wedlock (please, oh Lord, let it be consensual). Or she was gay. Have you already done a video on this practice of sending daughters to Canada to live out the rest of their lives? I'm fascinated to research this, but haven't a clue of where to start. Fun fact about the Diaspora - we don't pass on the language. There's no such thing, sadly, as Saturday Morning Language School class for Gaelic. Please keep talking. Thank you. - Cathy (&, accidently, Steve), Ottawa/Bytown/Pimisi

Moved here from Scotland 6 years ago and i must say that after my maritime travels i felt like home in Saint John NB. Nova Scotia also a beauty but to be honest i met more asians etc who run their own businesses/restaurants.

The British government didn’t seem to understand how bad of an idea it is to try to disarm angry people. That’s how new countries are formed. Bye the way. The red river valley between MN, ND and Manitoba is really good farming plus lake Winnipeg is huge. Greetings from the New world.

Your videos are great craic mo chara 👏

Another great wee video Bruce. Strategic manipulation of ordinary people by ‘offering’ poor alternatives to break the power of collectivism and then calling it ‘choice’....divide and conquer, we have seen so many examples of this tactic when groups of people try to stand up for their rights.

We had a primary school teacher in the 90s teaching us about the clearances and those forced to Canada and the conditions on the ships and when they got there. She was pulled up by the head mistress and told to stop it now.

My family was forced from Benbecula to Wapella, Saskatchewan, in the 19th century and made to learn farming. Safe to say, within a generation, they were forced into other fields, mostly the military, including my grandfather, who joined at 14 in 1944. I am the first to go to university in that line, and most of my prairie family are still generationally poor. Nevertheless, almost all are proud of their Scottish roots, love Canada, and are still buried in Wapella to full Highland funerals.

Great video again bruce 👍👍...how was that scone ...what's the fastest cake in the world.....ssscccooonnnnne

On the subject of Scots going to Canada, would you ever do an episode on Dr John Rae of Orkney? I remember seeing a Ray Mears documentary on his life a few years back but I'd love to hear your take on such a fascinating character. Love the vids, keep it up mate 😁

It would be a good video to follow the fate of the Selkirk settlers in Manitoba. They didn't have an easy time of it at their destination either. And in fact they displaces the Metis people who were already in Red River.

I am sitting in a shady spot at the beach just north of Selkirk MB. Those Selkirk settlers would have been better off in Scotland. Half of them died that first winter in Manitoba. The cold was brutal and they arrived too late to grow a crop for winter food and they had no idea how to cope with a prairie winter. If not for the help of the local natives they all would have died. Lord Selkirk fared better, as he skeedadled back to Scotland before the snow fell.

About half of my ancestors came from Scotland to Canada, between 1700 and 1820 approx. There is no family lore about the Highland clearances, so I am unsure about the circumstances of their leaving Scotland. I have always wondered about it: Were they "cleared out" or did they emigrate voluntarily? I'll probably never know.

Some Scots from Isle of Lewis settled in Bruce County, Ontario.

This speaks to the Scottish Americans too

I'm in a hammock in Thailand falling out with a Scottish arse. This is pure comedy Bruce 💚👌

Excellent video. Were there clearances in Perthshire? All I know about my family is three MacArthur brothers left from Perthshire around 1836 and never looked back. A friend mentioned it could be because of the clearances but I have no way to verify anything before they made it to Canada- New Brunswick, not Manitoba.

A descendant of the clearances MacPherson clan in Australia.. thanks for the post.. Bruce 👍