Site of the April 1882 confrontation between Braes crofters and police over grazing rights, which directly triggered the 1883 Napier Commission and the Crofters' Holdings (Scotland) Act 1886 — the pivot point between clearance and the political reform that eventually stopped it.
Why this place matters
Site of the April 1882 confrontation between Braes crofters and police over grazing rights, which directly triggered the 1883 Napier Commission and the Crofters' Holdings (Scotland) Act 1886 — the pivot point between clearance and the political reform that eventually stopped it.
The story on the ground
CATEGORY: Crofting resistance — this is arguably the single most important 'active resistance' site available for the story and directly fills the brief's explicit call for this under-told angle. In April 1882, Braes crofters resisted eviction/rent demands over grazing rights on Ben Lee, forcing a Sheriff's officer to burn his summons and later confronting ~50 police sent from Glasgow. The confrontation directly triggered the 1883 Napier Commission (which took evidence at Portree, Braes, Glendale and elsewhere on Skye) and led to the Crofters' Holdings (Scotland) Act 1886 — i.e., this single event is the hinge between 'clearance' and 'later political reform', both categories the brief asks for. A cairn was erected near Gedintailor in 1980. COORDINATE CAVEAT: I could not independently confirm precise coordinates this session (mapping site was blocked); the lat/lng above is an estimate for the Braes/Gedintailor area based on place descriptions and should be verified against OS/Canmore mapping before the pin goes live.
What the evidence supports
The event and its consequences are well-documented (High Life Highland Archive Service, Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, Historic UK); exact cairn coordinates were not independently verified this session and should be confirmed against OS/Canmore mapping before publishing a precise pin.
Before you go
- Roadside on the B883 Braes road; own car needed, no public parking facility confirmed beyond a roadside layby.
- Not required
- Accessible year-round, no seasonal closure — it is an outdoor roadside monument.
- A small roadside cairn, plaque and bench rather than a major attraction. Single-track local road; park only where safe and do not block croft access or passing places.