The Irish Potato Famine began in 1845, and soon spread to Scotland. In 1846 after the failure of the potato crop, destitution boards were set up to raise money for people in the Highlands and Islands who were faced with starvation.
The records of these boards are held in The National Records of Scotland [series HD] and date from 1847 to 1852 and name those given food, financial aid or were found work. The records can include details such as name, age and occupation of each family and may also include the number of children or names and ages of the whole family.
The progress of the destitution boards, and minutes of their meetings, were also recorded in newspapers at the time.
For example, a report of October 1847 stated that there was still "hope for an early and plentiful harvest", but that "a few weeks of boisterous weather, and the appearance of the blight in the potatoes, gave some cause for apprehension". It then followed that "the continuance of rain and wind in that district throughout the whole month of September has materially injured the grain crop".
Together these records document a very difficult period in the history of the Highlands and Islands, which eventually led to a large amount of emigration from the area.