What were The Clearances?
In the 19th Century the agricultural revolution finally reached the North
of Scotland and then Shetland.
The large scale removal of crofters in the Highlands to create new sheep farms were named ‘The Clearances’. This usually meant that the evicted crofters left the land, moving to new towns or the colonies.
In Bressay in the 1870’s small farm tenants were given notice to quit to create the farms of Setter & Aith, Hoversta & Grimsetter and the enlargement of Maryfield Farm (Keldabister) by the addition of Noss-Sound & Cullingsbrough.
Most evicted tenants remained in the island on other holdings.
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