Love, loss and survival in the Highlands
by William A Allan
Echoes of the Clearances has been recognised by being named as a FINALIST in the Able Golden Book Awards 2025.
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"Echoes of the Clearances" – A Heartfelt Journey Through Mull's History
Set against the rugged beauty of the Isle of Mull, Echoes of the Clearances tells the powerful story of one family's fight to endure amidst the heartbreak of the Highland Clearances. Through the lives of the MacGillivray family and their neighbours, the novel transports readers to the once-thriving townships of Burg, Shiaba, Killunaig, and the beautiful Isle of Iona, where crofting communities faced eviction and displacement.
As the MacGillivrays struggle to hold onto their land and traditions, the novel vividly captures the pain of forced migration and the resilience of a people bound by kinship, culture, and the land they call home. Their journey is one of survival, love, and the unyielding hope to preserve their identity in the face of overwhelming loss.
William A. Allan (aka Will Allan) is the author of Echoes of the Clearances and the Archie the Highland Cow children’s series. Born in northern England, baptised on Mull, and now living in Australia, he draws on deep family roots and a love of storytelling to bring history to life—and imagination back to childhood.
About the Author William A. Allan (also writing as Will Allan) is a historical fiction author and children’s storyteller with deep roots in the windswept hills and sea-lashed shores of the Isle of Mull. Though born and raised in northern England, William was baptised on Mull and proudly traces his MacGillivray family line back through generations of islanders. Now living on the other side of the world in Australia, he still carries the misty magic of Mull in his heart—and in his books. His debut novel, Echoes of the Clearances, is a poignant and powerful tale inspired by true family history, bringing to life the struggles and spirit of Highland communities during one of Scotland’s most turbulent periods. Under the pen name Will Allan, he also writes the Archie the Highland Cow series—charming story-and-colouring books for children, inspired by his own joyful childhood holidays on Mull. These stories are lovingly crafted with one mission in mind: to get kids off their screens, out into nature, and back into the wilds of their imaginations (preferably with a crayon or two in hand). Whether he's exploring the heartbreak of the Clearances or the mischief of a highland cow called Archie, William brings heart, humour, and history to every page.