'The Mannie'

If Beinn Bhraggie dominates Golspie, so does the memorial which stands on its summit. Some locals refer rather affectionately to the statue as 'The Mannie' but several attempts have been made to topple it and the area around its base has been badly vandalised. That such differing views are held about the monument aren't surprising as the man it celebrates was seen by some as a great improver, who did much to develop and bring better conditions to Sutherland, while others view him as little short of a murderer who was responsible for forcibly clearing thousands of tenants from the Sutherland Estate, many of whom subsequently emigrated.

George Granville Leveson-Gowever was an English industrial millionaire, MP, and British ambassador in Paris who, in 1785, married Elizabeth, Countess of Sutherland, who brought to their union the vast Sutherland Estate, the largest in Europe at the time. Normally, George would have become master of the estate but Elizabeth insisted on retaining control so, in fairness, she should be seen as the more responsible for what followed.

Picture courtesy Wikpedia

In order to effect the desired 'improvements' in Sutherland, the Estate sought to demolish the small townships and remove the many families who had lived there for generations, in order to consolidate the land into larger farms upon which highly profitable sheep could be run. 'The Clearances', as they are known, were carried out with some brutality, and many of the families who were not persuaded to resettle on smallholdings, 'crofts', elsewhere on the estate, emigrated.

The statue can be seen from miles away, with George staring out across a land divided over his legacy. Personally, I dislike the statue and would be very happy if someone demolished it, preferably spectacularly and with a huge 'bang' which we could all watch.