The Emigrants Statue
By Rona Ellis
A tribute to the Emigrants Statue at Helmsdale and to those who were forced from their homes and livelihoods during the ClearancesImage provided by Rona Ellis
The statue is located in Couper Park above the river, village and harbour. It was commissioned by Dennis MacLeod, who was born and raised in Helmsdale before making his fortune in gold mining in South Africa.
The inscription on the monument, in Gaelic and English, reads:
The Emigrants commemorates the people of the Highlands and Islands of Scotland who, in the face of great adversity, sought freedom, hope and justice beyond these shores. They and their descendants went forth and explored continents, built great countries and cities and gave their enterprise and culture to the world. This is their legacy. Their voices will echo forever thro the empty straths and glens of their homeland.
The statue was the design of sculptor Gerald Laing and shows four figures. The man wearing a kilt is looking ahead into the unknown future; the boy is looking up at his father for reassurance. The woman is holding a baby and is looking back towards the home they have been forced to leave.The statue provides a focus for commemoration of the people who were evicted from their ancestral homes during the Clearances, in an area where the Clearances had a huge impact both on society and on the landscape. Many of those who were “cleared” found their way to new homes elsewhere, mostly abroad, where they made new lives.
Many thanks to Rona Ellis for sharing with us the story behind her journey stone, created as part of the Tapestry of the Highlands and Islands.
WHAT IS A JOURNEY STONE?
Prior to the beginning of the stitching of each tapestry panel, each stitcher of the Tapestry of the Highlands and Islands was tasked with telling their interpretation of the 'Spirit of the Highlands and Islands' within a blank outline of a stone. The possibilities were truly endless - is it represented in the land? The people? A historical site? A favourite memory?
In any case, each journey stone represents the connection between each individual stitcher, their story, and their own sense, or 'spirit', of place. Discover more of the stories behind the journey stones of the Tapestry of the Highlands and Islands here.