Strathcarron, Highland


Strathcarron is a hamlet, in the Highland council area of Scotland.

Geography

It is situated at the head of the sea loch, Loch Carron, between the rivers, River Carron and River Taodail, in Wester Ross, Scottish Highlands.

Amenities

It has a hotel called the Strathcarron Hotel and the Strathcarron railway station.

History

In the spring of 1854, one of the most notorious incidents of resistance to the Highland Clearances took place at Greenyards in Strathcarron, when Major Robertson of Kindeace attempted to evict his tenants to make way for more profitable sheep farming. It was reported by The Inverness Courier that the Sheriff Taylor at the head of about thirty-five men traveled from Tain and arrived at Greenyards at about dawn. Their arrival was expected and they were met by a crowd of about 300 people, two thirds of whom were women. They were all apparently prepared to resist the execution of the law. The women lined up at the front armed with stones and the men at the rear armed with sticks. The Sheriff tried to persuade them not to resist, as did Cummings who was the superintendent of the Ross-shire police. The sheriff reluctantly then had to use force and the police attacked the crowd and dispersed them. However, during the violence, fifteen or sixteen women were seriously hurt, some requiring medical treatment, as the police appeared to have used their batons with great force. The sheriff had served summonses on four tenants. The police tried to capture some of the men, but only captured five women. Sheriff Mackenzie later gave an account in which he said that the large number of people who had arrived to resist had been signaled to the spot by gun-shots. The women who had been captured were taken to the prison at Tain but they were released on bail the next day. The incident, which took place on 31 March, 1854, became known as "The Massacre of the Rosses". There was afterwards universal feeling among the people of Ross-shire and Sutherlandshire that the sheriff's conduct was reckless and there was indignation and disgust at the brutality of the policemen on the women which had left pools of blood on the ground. One woman was reported to have died in this encounter.

Trivia

Strathcarron is home to indie-folk musicians The Ramisco Maki Maki Rocking Horse and Oak Hero.