The Raasay Raiders

By the 20th century, stories of raiding neighbouring islands and settling on the land were thought to be a thing of the past. That was until seven crofters from Rona decided to take back the land of their ancestors and sailed to nearby Raasay. 

The population of Raasay had been decimated by the Highland Clearances throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. Landlords removed hundreds of people from their homes on the same fertile ground that had been lived in for generations. Many crofters ended up on the rough land of Rona, far too poor quality for effective farming, while their old fields were taken over by sheep. 

Like many other islands, the male population of Rona had fought in World War I, believing that they would be granted good land in Raasay on their return in thanks for their service. It soon became apparent to those who returned that absolutely nothing was going to change. After giving fair warning to the Board of Agriculture that they would simply take back the land of their ancestors if they didn’t fulfil the promise, the Raasay Raiders set out to prove these weren’t empty threats. 

In 1921, seven men landed on Raasay and began to reclaim the land they had fought so hard for. The landowner inevitably disagreed with their actions, having them all arrested and taken to prison in Inverness. However, public sympathy was on the men from Rona’s side and they were treated well throughout their six-week incarceration. 

The next year, the Board of Agriculture saw sense and purchased much of Raasay from the landowner. Each of the Raiders was given their own piece of land to farm for their croft and slowly other people of Rona followed in their footsteps. It had been a hard battle, but they were finally back where they belonged.

Written by Graeme Johncock