During the Highland Clearances of the 18th and 19th centuries, forced evictions swept across the Scottish Highlands as traditional clan-based societies were dismantled in favour of commercial agriculture, particularly sheep farming.

This year, I visited Arichonan, a small, remote village in Argyllshire where crofters have cultivated the land for generations. Their traditional lifestyle, rooted in small-scale farming, fishing, and community collaboration. In the mid-19th century, landlords decided to clear the land for large- scale sheep farming, which was seen as more profitable. The tenants had little choice, facing forced evictions with no viable alternatives. Roofs were often torn off to prevent their return, displacing entire families, some of whom emigrated to North America, Australia, or urban centres in Scotland. The eviction of Arichonan, like many others during the Clearances, was socially devastating and ecologically short-sighted. It led to a decline in local biodiversity and cultural landscapes, while the sheep farming that replaced it resulted in soil degradation and overgrazing. The region’s long-term sustainability was sacrificed for short-term financial gain.

The Highland Clearances, particularly the case of Arichonan, remind us how economic motives can lead to the destruction of communities, cultures, and sustainable land practices. Today, the ruins of Arichonan stand as a powerful symbol of dispossession and loss.

For my degree show, I wanted to shed light on this history, which isn’t often taught. I wanted to create a surreal version of the small winnowing barn in Arichonan.