Township (Scotland) facts for kids

A crofting township in Scotland is a special kind of farming community. It's where several families live and work on small pieces of land called crofts. Each family has its own small farm, but they also share a much larger area of wild, open land for grazing animals. These townships are set up as official legal units.

In northern and western areas of Scotland, many people live in small crofting townships, such as here on the Isle of Skye.

Ruins of the township of Arichonan, forcibly cleared in 1848 as part of the Highland Clearances. Caol Scotnish can be seen in the middle distance with Loch Sween farther out.

The size of a township can be very different. It depends on how good the land is for farming. Some townships might be small, while others can cover thousands of hectares. They often include a large area of shared grazing land. This shared land is sometimes called a "shieling" or "àirigh". People traditionally used this land in the summer. Today, with modern farming, it's often used in colder months too.

Crofting Townships in Scotland

What is a Crofting Township?

A crofting township is a unique type of farming settlement. It combines private small farms with shared common land. Each family in the township has their own small farm. This farm includes a few hectares of pasture (grassland) and arable land (land for growing crops). This private land is known as "in-bye land."

Besides their own farms, all families in the township share a large area. This shared land is usually wild, undeveloped upland. It's mainly used for grazing animals like sheep or cattle. This shared grazing land is a key part of what makes a crofting township special. It helps the community work together.

A Look Back in Time

In the history of Scotland, these townships were often called a toun. This is a word from the Lowland Scots language. Before the English language became common in Scotland, the word baile was used more often. These older names show how important these communities were.

Traditional townships faced huge changes in the 18th and 19th centuries. Many were destroyed during the Highland Clearances. This was a sad time when many people were forced to leave their homes. Landowners wanted to use the land for large-scale sheep farming. This meant many small farming communities disappeared.

The Last Surviving Township

One famous example of a traditional township is Auchindrain in Argyll. It was once home to up to seven families. These families worked the land together. Auchindrain was the last traditional township to survive the Clearances. This was thanks to the landowner in the 1800s. He was the 8th Duke of Argyll.

The Duke decided it wouldn't be good for business to split the township into separate small farms. Instead, he encouraged the families to try new farming methods. The last family left Auchindrain in 1963. Today, the old houses and buildings are still there. They have been turned into an open-air museum. Visitors can see what life was like in a traditional crofting township. It helps us remember this important part of Scottish history.