Langwell

Michael Moss was emeritus professor of archival science at the University of Northumbria, he was previously research professor in archival studies at the University of Glasgow. He served as archivist of the University from 1974 to 2003. He was educated at the University of Oxford and trained in the Bodleian Library and was Miegunyah Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the University of Melbourne in 2015. He wrote numerous books including The 'Magnificent Castle' of Culzean and the Kennedy Family, 2002, The Making of Scotch Whisky, 2000; The Building of Europe’s Largest Mutual Life Company – Standard Life, 1825-2000, 2000. Michael Moss died in 2021. William Parente graduated from Oxford with a First in English and went on to do research in Shakespeare’s comedies, later working in theatre and writing the Scotsman’s film column from 1980-92. With Yves Bonavero he set up Bonaparte Films in 1990 to finance small British features including Waking Ned and William Boyd’s The Trench. His ancestor the 5th Duke of Portland (the ‘mole’) acquired Langwell in 1854. He lives in Nottinghamshire and Caithness.

• Lists of Illustrations and picture creditsList of MapsList of Figures and TablesAcknowledgementsForewordNotes on Names and TerminologyIntroduction: title tbc1. A Commission of Fire and Sword:Breadalbane takes Caithness2. Parks and Furrestorie:A Proposall for Langwall3. For Every Scot in Favour There is 99 Against:The Act of Union4. The Hospitable Mansion:The Sutherlands of Langwell5. Long Acres:The Droving Trade6. ‘The Horrour of It Must Wear Off’:The Profits of Slavery7. The ‘Saturday Slap’:Walter Gray Struggles On8. A Serious Desire to do Good:Sir John Sinclair of Ulbster9. An Caorach Mhor:The Coming of the Sheep10. As Many As Possible of the Present Inhabitants Ought to be Retained:Sir John’s Sheep Scheme11. A Whole Neighbourhood is Set Afloat:Early Emigration12. Whole Baronies Into Sheepfarms:The Coming of the Flockmasters13. The Chief of the Arts:Agricultural Innovation in Caithness14. The Fire! The Fire!The Kildonan Riots15. Never Out of the Law:James Horne Buys Langwell16. Land For Votes:The Political Hornes17. Mischief This Night:Sheep Stealing in the North18. The Silver Darlings:The Fishing Boom19. Improving on Improvement:James Horne at Langwell20. The Great Donald:Donald Horne Succeeds to Langwell21. Uncertain and Exaggerated Benefits:Hunger and Emigration in the Nineteenth Century22. The Coming of the Steamers:Sea Connections23. ‘From the Pen to the Plough’:Horne Expands into Clyth24. The Deserted Villages:From the Land to the Sea25. All the Grouse are Killed:The Coming of the Sportsmen26. Destitution Road:Famine27. The Empty Estates:The Fall of the House of Stirkoke28. Running Before the Wind:Caithness Havens29. Mad, Blind and Impious:The Eviction Scandal30. Fit For A Maharajah:Langwell for SaleFamily Trees: The Sutherland, Gray and Horne FamiliesAppendix: The Defenders named in Summonses of Removal, 1763 to 1857BibliographyFootnotesIndex

Langwell is an absorbing story of a Caithness estate,1750-1850. Its review of the key changes of the period undoubtedly adds to the wider debate, but what is particularly well-depicted is the complex network of debt surrounding the estate’s ownership and the book’s success at giving identity to those who managed it.