Evictions from the Highland area of Easter Ross and Mid Ross led to many of those evicted settling in the Black Isle. The common moorland of the Mulbuie was taken over by landlords with neighbouring estates and the landless people were settled there to reclaim the land.
James Gillanders of Highfield, Muir of Ord, an estate factor, evicted four hundred people from Strathconon, and when they settled in the Black Isle, he evicted them from there too.
There were no clearances to make way for sheep farms in the Black Isle, but on Redcastle Estate, crofters were removed to make way for large arable farms. Many of these were received into the neighbouring estates of Kilcoy, whose owner Colin Mackenzie, allowed them to settle there to carry on their previous way of crofting life.
Below: Reclaiming the moor at Findon, 1980s
