Hi Abbey,
I wrote a series of Clearance songs in the mid sixties and 'The Shores of Sutherland' song is dated 1811. I got a lot of background from a book called 'Gloomy Memories' written by Donald (?) Mcleod who had gone to Canada. His book was in respose to Harriet Beecher Stowe's book called 'Sunny Memories' of her visit to Scotland. She was sent to Scotland by an irate an curious American Press who saw these destitute highlanders turning up on their shores. She was considered a sympathetic person to investigate their plight as the writer of Uncle Tom's cabin. She stayed with the Duchess of Sutherland..'nuff said!