Alot of the bothy ballads tell of bad working conditions in the touns.
My personal favourite is "Sleepytoun" by Norman Kennedy, on New Voices from Scotland ,with Gordeanna McCulloch and the Exiles.
Sleeve notes on "Sleepytoun"
"A former worker at the farm of Sleepytoon told the collector,the Rev JamesB Duncan, that he had worked with the author of this song,
William (poet) Clark. Clark,who came from Alford,and was reputedly awfu' leernt, wrote this satire against the hard hearted farmer ,Adam Mitchell,about 1854, while in his early twenties. The melody, one of the most common in North East Scotland,is used for the "Toon o' Kelso ", and is a close relative to the tune normally used for "The Battle o' Harlaw".......Ake