A History of Before we look any further at the early days of our Cove let us think about why the first settlers left their beloved native Scotland . Up until the early eighteenth century the Clan system prevailed in the Highlands and the people looked to their clan chief for protection and the means of earning their living. In return they served him loyally and faithfully and when their Chief betrayed them it was as if a father had turned against his child. The Laird owned large tracts of land obtained, maybe by prowess in battle or maybe a gift of his king and this land was handed down from one generation to another. He rented this land out to tenants some of which were called crofters, the same families being in the same places for generations. The highland soil was extremely poor and it was difficult for the crofters to pay rent and wrest a living from the stony ground. After the Battle of Culloden the English tried to wipe out the clan system and forbade the wearing of the tartan. Some clan chiefs and Lowland Scots sided with the English and later joined with them in their cruel and inhumane treatment of the crofters. The landowners found that they could make more money raising sheep than renting to crofters so they evicted their tenants in the cruelest way imaginable. The factors (agents) would come to the croft usually through the day when the men were at work, put out the hearth fire which burned day and night using the precious milk that was needed for the family. Then they would set fire to the croft which with its thatched roof would burn easily. The crofters would have to leave carrying everything. That could be a sick child or old person, along with their scanty belongings. Perhaps even the roof tree and the lintel would have to be carried as they were not allowed to cut trees down when and where they wished. Their crofts were almost entirely of stone but the boards where the two sides of the roof met, the roof tree, had to be of wood.