• Contact
  • About
  • Authors
DONATE
NEWSLETTER SIGN UP
  • Login
Bylines Scotland
  • Home
  • News
    • All
    • Bylines Scotland Breaking News
    • Europe
    • King Charles III
    • Queen Elizabeth II
    • Scotland
    • War in Ukraine
    • World
    A woman walking in a field with a jerrycan of water on her back, spraying water on the vegetation

    The Ethiopia Medical Project (EMP)

    A thistle flowerr

    Is it time tae think again about Flower of Scotland?

    Eu flag on the left, UK flag on the right. Both are windblown. A large lightening bolt inbetween them.

    Glasgow Loves EU campaigners brave wind and rain to keep a light on for Scotland

    blue background, A younf woman holding a large black sign that says VOTE ! in white letters

    Scottish elections: young people more likely to vote if they started at 16 – new study

    Healthcare word seen in a scrabble

    “Leave no one behind” – the Health Foundation’s report into health inequalities in Scotland 2023.

    Sign saying NHS Greater Galsgow & Clyde in front of a hospital building

    Concern over patients waiting in corridors for free beds at Glasgow Superhospital

    A row of tall houses on the left, with parked cars in front on the side of the street

    Saving Scotland’s tenements

    Ben Nevis. Forground has green shrubbery, then background a mountain with two tops. Blue sky with a few streaky clouds

    Exploring the Highest Mountain in the British Isles: A Guide to Ben Nevis

    Image via Steller Systems, a potential candidate.

    Cancelling future frigates could be final nail in the coffin for the UK

    Trending Tags

    • Democracy
    • Devolution
    • Brexit
    • Ukraine
  • Politics
    • All
    • Council Areas
    • Europe
    • Holyrood
    • Liz Truss
    • Rest of UK
    • Tories
    • United Kingdom
    • Westminster
    • World
    blue background, A younf woman holding a large black sign that says VOTE ! in white letters

    Scottish elections: young people more likely to vote if they started at 16 – new study

    A scene of people demonstrating, holding Scotland flags. One man wears a tartan cap and holds a blue flag with both the Scottish cross and the EU stars on it.

    Is Alister Jack sane?

    Image Malcom Laverty

    The Brown plan

    The climate change impacts of Russia’s war with Ukraine

    Britain wastes £1bn on drones to monitor English Channel

    The Autumn Statement – time to take a closer look

    Photo Mtaylor848, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

    Christmas cheer for Tesco if grim reading for the political classes

    Scottish independence isn’t going away

    Russia as a low-tech nation

    Trending Tags

    • Crime
    • Equality
    • Johnson
    • Scottish National Party
  • Business
    • All
    • Agriculture
    • Aviation
    • Corporations
    • Energy
    • Fishing
    • Natural Resources
    • Shipbuilding
    • Trade
    • Transport
    • Workers
    A row of tall houses on the left, with parked cars in front on the side of the street

    Saving Scotland’s tenements

    A large red researcgh vessel in the sea with ice sheets all around it on the water.

    Rosyth shipyard attracts UK Government contract to maintain fleet of scientific research vessels

    large posts saying 'Glasgow Airport Business Park' on the left and right of a road leading away from the main road in the front. . On that road leading away building with walls almost entirely existing of windows.

    Why doing business in Scotland may be better for your corporate wellbeing

    A mountain of spools forming a tree on the left, a sandy area to the right and a row of houses at the back. mountains in the distance on the right

    The Ullapool Giving Tree

    Electric off-roader heralds return of vehicle mass-production in Scotland after 40 years

    Photo Mtaylor848, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

    Christmas cheer for Tesco if grim reading for the political classes

    Ferguson Marine will weather the storm

    Order placed for remaining five Type 26 Frigates on the Clyde

    Police Scotland not investigating Scottish government over ferry contract criminality

    Trending Tags

    • Health
      • All
      • Assisted dying
      • Covid
      • Influenza
      • Polio virus
      • Respiratory
      • Scientific Research
      A woman walking in a field with a jerrycan of water on her back, spraying water on the vegetation

      The Ethiopia Medical Project (EMP)

      Healthcare word seen in a scrabble

      “Leave no one behind” – the Health Foundation’s report into health inequalities in Scotland 2023.

      Sign saying NHS Greater Galsgow & Clyde in front of a hospital building

      Concern over patients waiting in corridors for free beds at Glasgow Superhospital

      A hospital corridor with trolleys on the sides.

      Glasgow hospitals halt non-urgent operations due to pressure

      Two more unions reject Scottish Government NHS pay offer

      GMB union reject Scottish Government pay offer to NHS staff

      Lymphocites gathering

      How careful should we be when choosing a scientific term?

      Code Black – A mayday from the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital

      The challenges facing mental health care in Scotland

      Trending Tags

      • Environment
        • All
        • Air Pollution
        • Biology
        • Climate Change
        • Wildfires
        Ardnish wildfire by Leslie Barrie, CC BY-SA 2.0 Creative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic — CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons'

        Fire threats in the Scottish countryside

        Wood stove at the foot of the bed in the Danish Blue room at Pig Hill Inn, Cold Spring, New York. Printed with permission and confirmed to be licensed under the terms of the cc-by-2.0.

        When smoke gets in your eyes

        Opening of the United Nations Climate Change Conference COP27 in Egypt. Photo courtesy of the UNFCCC

        COP27 and the inconvenient truth

        Viscum album in trees

        Night of the strangling figs: a biological horror story

        Out & about with Charlie Mac: Cycling to the heart of Scotland – the National Cycle Network 7

        Scotland's mountain footpaths

        How do we care for Scotland’s mountain footpath network?

        climate science

        PM to be chosen by people with little grasp of climate science

        Trending Tags

        • Opinion
        No Result
        View All Result
        • Home
        • News
          • All
          • Bylines Scotland Breaking News
          • Europe
          • King Charles III
          • Queen Elizabeth II
          • Scotland
          • War in Ukraine
          • World
          A woman walking in a field with a jerrycan of water on her back, spraying water on the vegetation

          The Ethiopia Medical Project (EMP)

          A thistle flowerr

          Is it time tae think again about Flower of Scotland?

          Eu flag on the left, UK flag on the right. Both are windblown. A large lightening bolt inbetween them.

          Glasgow Loves EU campaigners brave wind and rain to keep a light on for Scotland

          blue background, A younf woman holding a large black sign that says VOTE ! in white letters

          Scottish elections: young people more likely to vote if they started at 16 – new study

          Healthcare word seen in a scrabble

          “Leave no one behind” – the Health Foundation’s report into health inequalities in Scotland 2023.

          Sign saying NHS Greater Galsgow & Clyde in front of a hospital building

          Concern over patients waiting in corridors for free beds at Glasgow Superhospital

          A row of tall houses on the left, with parked cars in front on the side of the street

          Saving Scotland’s tenements

          Ben Nevis. Forground has green shrubbery, then background a mountain with two tops. Blue sky with a few streaky clouds

          Exploring the Highest Mountain in the British Isles: A Guide to Ben Nevis

          Image via Steller Systems, a potential candidate.

          Cancelling future frigates could be final nail in the coffin for the UK

          Trending Tags

          • Democracy
          • Devolution
          • Brexit
          • Ukraine
        • Politics
          • All
          • Council Areas
          • Europe
          • Holyrood
          • Liz Truss
          • Rest of UK
          • Tories
          • United Kingdom
          • Westminster
          • World
          blue background, A younf woman holding a large black sign that says VOTE ! in white letters

          Scottish elections: young people more likely to vote if they started at 16 – new study

          A scene of people demonstrating, holding Scotland flags. One man wears a tartan cap and holds a blue flag with both the Scottish cross and the EU stars on it.

          Is Alister Jack sane?

          Image Malcom Laverty

          The Brown plan

          The climate change impacts of Russia’s war with Ukraine

          Britain wastes £1bn on drones to monitor English Channel

          The Autumn Statement – time to take a closer look

          Photo Mtaylor848, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

          Christmas cheer for Tesco if grim reading for the political classes

          Scottish independence isn’t going away

          Russia as a low-tech nation

          Trending Tags

          • Crime
          • Equality
          • Johnson
          • Scottish National Party
        • Business
          • All
          • Agriculture
          • Aviation
          • Corporations
          • Energy
          • Fishing
          • Natural Resources
          • Shipbuilding
          • Trade
          • Transport
          • Workers
          A row of tall houses on the left, with parked cars in front on the side of the street

          Saving Scotland’s tenements

          A large red researcgh vessel in the sea with ice sheets all around it on the water.

          Rosyth shipyard attracts UK Government contract to maintain fleet of scientific research vessels

          large posts saying 'Glasgow Airport Business Park' on the left and right of a road leading away from the main road in the front. . On that road leading away building with walls almost entirely existing of windows.

          Why doing business in Scotland may be better for your corporate wellbeing

          A mountain of spools forming a tree on the left, a sandy area to the right and a row of houses at the back. mountains in the distance on the right

          The Ullapool Giving Tree

          Electric off-roader heralds return of vehicle mass-production in Scotland after 40 years

          Photo Mtaylor848, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

          Christmas cheer for Tesco if grim reading for the political classes

          Ferguson Marine will weather the storm

          Order placed for remaining five Type 26 Frigates on the Clyde

          Police Scotland not investigating Scottish government over ferry contract criminality

          Trending Tags

          • Health
            • All
            • Assisted dying
            • Covid
            • Influenza
            • Polio virus
            • Respiratory
            • Scientific Research
            A woman walking in a field with a jerrycan of water on her back, spraying water on the vegetation

            The Ethiopia Medical Project (EMP)

            Healthcare word seen in a scrabble

            “Leave no one behind” – the Health Foundation’s report into health inequalities in Scotland 2023.

            Sign saying NHS Greater Galsgow & Clyde in front of a hospital building

            Concern over patients waiting in corridors for free beds at Glasgow Superhospital

            A hospital corridor with trolleys on the sides.

            Glasgow hospitals halt non-urgent operations due to pressure

            Two more unions reject Scottish Government NHS pay offer

            GMB union reject Scottish Government pay offer to NHS staff

            Lymphocites gathering

            How careful should we be when choosing a scientific term?

            Code Black – A mayday from the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital

            The challenges facing mental health care in Scotland

            Trending Tags

            • Environment
              • All
              • Air Pollution
              • Biology
              • Climate Change
              • Wildfires
              Ardnish wildfire by Leslie Barrie, CC BY-SA 2.0 Creative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic — CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons'

              Fire threats in the Scottish countryside

              Wood stove at the foot of the bed in the Danish Blue room at Pig Hill Inn, Cold Spring, New York. Printed with permission and confirmed to be licensed under the terms of the cc-by-2.0.

              When smoke gets in your eyes

              Opening of the United Nations Climate Change Conference COP27 in Egypt. Photo courtesy of the UNFCCC

              COP27 and the inconvenient truth

              Viscum album in trees

              Night of the strangling figs: a biological horror story

              Out & about with Charlie Mac: Cycling to the heart of Scotland – the National Cycle Network 7

              Scotland's mountain footpaths

              How do we care for Scotland’s mountain footpath network?

              climate science

              PM to be chosen by people with little grasp of climate science

              Trending Tags

              • Opinion
              No Result
              View All Result
              Bylines Scotland
              No Result
              View All Result
              Home Lifestyle History

              The Tinker experiment

              A shameful period in recent Scottish history that still reverberates in our Traveller communities today.

              Charlie McCarthybyCharlie McCarthy
              19-08-2022 07:58
              in History, Scotland
              Families depicted.

              Circa early 1950s showing William Webb, Church of Scotland Chaplain for Tinkers in Scotland at an experimental site in Inverness Shire, Printed with permission by Nancy Gunn, descendant of the families depicted.

              Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

              You may not have heard about the ‘Tinker Experiment’. It’s not taught in our schools nor discussed much in political circles. When you delve into the details of what happened you begin to understand why. The Tinker Experiment lasted from 1940 until 1980 and was a programme designed to integrate gypsy travellers into mainstream society. It was supported by the UK government and Scottish local authorities. At its most fundamental, the UK Government in partnership with Scottish Local Authorities wanted to take Travellers off the road and settle them in ‘normal’ housing.

              Travellers were taken from their family homes and provided with primitive and cramped housing at a number of sites around Scotland. In many cases, the conditions were unsuitable and family groups had to be split up.

              Brother and sister Shamus and Roseanna McPhee are campaigning for an apology.

              Shamus McPhee, Scottish Traveller, artist and activist. Photo by author.

              An experiment that left lasting physiological damage and continued discrimination

              Shamus and Roseanna grew up on former Bobbin Mill site in Pitlochry, living in a prefabricated World War Two-style Nissen hut which had no electricity, a coal fire for heating and candles for lighting. The site was later regenerated, and the huts replaced with wooden chalet accommodation.

              The McPhees were among families settled in Pitlochry. Other families were accommodated on sites elsewhere in Scotland, including Muir of Ord and Wick in the Highlands

              Ms McPhee said:

              “We had one bedroom for nine of us. The living room had a coal fire and that was the only heating. Lighting was a Tilly lamp and candles in the bedroom.”

              Rosanna said there was asbestos, a harmful and now illegal construction material, in the hut’s wall panels. When the asbestos was later removed, she was at home studying for her school exams when workmen took it out.

              The McPhees argue that the experiment left lasting physiological damage and gypsy travellers continued to face discrimination and other challenges. They want a formal apology for what happened to them and their community. So far, Shamus reports that the Scottish Government has been ‘unapproachable’ and has failed to show ‘any willingness to meet with victims’ of the so called ‘experiment’.

              When asked if he thought his community was being ignored by the Scottish Government he replied,

              “Definitely. I think we all feel ignored. It’s not a case that we are demanding an apology, we’ve asked for an apology.”

              Substandard accommodation. Picture printed with permission Shamus McPhee.

              What happened to Travellers and their families under the ‘Tinker Experiment’?

              The details of what happened under the auspices of ‘settling’ the Traveller community are shocking to us by today’s standards. The idea that the UK Government, working in partnership with Scottish local authorities and church groups, could take children from their families and put them into residential homes to ‘knock the Tinker out of the child’ is now considered to be cultural genocide.

              Similar attitudes led to the children of Indigenous communities of Canada and Australia suffering decades of abuse under similar moral attitudes prevalent at the time. Rosanna McPhee claims that some of the children sent into residential care in Scotland may have been taken to Australia as ‘orphans’ and put to work on farms in what was part of the post-war British child abuse scandal widely reported in the media.

              The Scottish government minister’s response

              The Scottish Government have been slow to say the least, in reacting to this request for an apology.

              Christina McKelvie, Scotland’s equalities minister, said in February 2020,

              ‘’Like my parliamentary colleagues, I have met with some of the families involved in the so-called ‘Tinker Experiment’, heard their distressing testimonies and take the issues they raise very seriously.

              “The Scottish Government accepts that lives of many Gypsy Travellers have been blighted by historical policies and practices of councils and charities, and we absolutely recognise the devastating and lasting impact this had on families.”

              She added: “As I said during a recent debate on this issue, it is time to turn words to actions and we must now focus on working together across political, organisational and geographical boundaries to deliver the actions that are so desperately needed, to address the inequality and injustice that this community continues to face.”

              Other campaigners want to go further

              Davie Donaldson, a Scottish Traveller and campaigner calls for a ‘full truth and reconciliation commission’. He said, ‘’I think it’s crucial the Scottish Government recognises the real impact that the experiment had on not only the victims and the survivors of the Tinker Experiment but on the generation that came afterwards in the form of cultural trauma.’’

              The Scottish Government often makes the case for greater devolution and indeed full independence from the UK along the lines of how much better we will be if only we had full control over our affairs. Here is an ideal example  how they, the Scottish Government, could demonstrate how we can do better by engaging with the Traveller community, recognising that mistakes have been made in the past and attempting to forge a better relationship in the future.

              A political and social failure we need to admit to

              A full Truth and Reconciliation Committee could shine light on all the dark corners of past practice and name the organisations that have been responsible for blighting the lives of our fellow citizens and fellow Scots. In this way, the Traveller community can receive the apology they crave and the rest of us can learn about a recent chapter of Scottish history that we need to grit our teeth and face up to, to ensure nothing like it can happen again.

              The Scottish Government has been asked by Bylines Scotland for a response to the request for an apology and truth and reconciliation commission a Scottish Government spokesperson said:

              “The Scottish Government will be commissioning independent research into the Tinker Experiment to ensure we are able to fully capture and understand its implications, identify who was involved and affected, and ensure the community has the opportunity to share its story.

              “Work is underway to commission this research which includes meeting with relevant organisations and individuals, to aid our understanding of this period.”

              The Scottish Traveller Community has been seeking opportunities to share their experiences of this recent disastrous piece of social policy with anyone who would listen. The Scottish Government can only kick the ball down the road for a limited period of time. Eventually someone in Edinburgh has to call this for what it was; a complete failure politically, socially and morally.

              We have a moral duty to ensure that the Scottish Traveller community’s needs are now met and that the research they want to carry out is done so swiftly, without further delay. In this way, we can attempt to redress the misdeeds of the past and forge a better relationship with Travellers and indeed with all our minority ethnic communities that make up our Scottish nation.

              If you or any of your family have been affected by any of these issues, please contact Bylines Scotland at [email protected].


              We need your help! The press in our country is dominated by billionaire-owned media, many offshore and avoiding paying tax. We are a citizen journalism publication but still have significant costs. If you believe in what we do, please consider subscribing to the Bylines Gazette 🙏

              Tags: History
              Previous Post

              Faslane and NATO – should Scotland lease out the base for a short time?

              Next Post

              Partitioning Britain, partitioning the self

              Charlie McCarthy

              Charlie McCarthy

              Charlie writes the "Out and About" monthly column for Bylines Scotland as well as a number of other features. Charlie lived for many years in North Yorkshire before moving back to Scotland. Originally from Glasgow, he lived in the North of England for most of his life. Before becoming a writer, Charlie was a science teacher. His areas of interest include politics, the environment and education.

              Related Posts

              A thistle flowerr
              Culture

              Is it time tae think again about Flower of Scotland?

              byMartin Roche
              3 February 2023
              Eu flag on the left, UK flag on the right. Both are windblown. A large lightening bolt inbetween them.
              Brexit

              Glasgow Loves EU campaigners brave wind and rain to keep a light on for Scotland

              byBylines Scotland
              1 February 2023
              blue background, A younf woman holding a large black sign that says VOTE ! in white letters
              Democracy

              Scottish elections: young people more likely to vote if they started at 16 – new study

              byChristine Huebnerand1 others
              31 January 2023
              Healthcare word seen in a scrabble
              Health

              “Leave no one behind” – the Health Foundation’s report into health inequalities in Scotland 2023.

              byCharlie McCarthy
              30 January 2023
              Sign saying NHS Greater Galsgow & Clyde in front of a hospital building
              Health

              Concern over patients waiting in corridors for free beds at Glasgow Superhospital

              byAshley Black
              27 January 2023
              Next Post

              Partitioning Britain, partitioning the self

              Subscribe to our newsletters
              CHOOSE YOUR NEWS
              Follow us on social media
              CHOOSE YOUR PLATFORMS
              Download our app
              ALL OF BYLINES IN ONE PLACE
              Subscribe to our gazette
              CONTRIBUTE TO OUR SUSTAINABILITY
              Make a monthly or one-off donation
              DONATE NOW
              Help us with our hosting costs
              SIGN UP TO SITEGROUND
              We are always looking for citizen journalists
              WRITE FOR US
              Volunteer as an editor, in a technical role, or on social media
              VOLUNTEER FOR US
              Something else?
              GET IN TOUCH
              Previous
              Next

              LATEST

              A woman walking in a field with a jerrycan of water on her back, spraying water on the vegetation

              The Ethiopia Medical Project (EMP)

              8 February 2023
              Brexit and Pro-EU airport channels in opposite directions.

              Pro-EU voices must ensure Europe stays top of the general election agenda

              7 February 2023
              St Andrews from West sands at sunrise

              I like your gift

              6 February 2023
              Performers at Celtic Connection 2023 in Glasgow

              Le Vent du Nord blows Glasgow away!

              5 February 2023

              MOST READ

              A woman walking in a field with a jerrycan of water on her back, spraying water on the vegetation

              The Ethiopia Medical Project (EMP)

              8 February 2023
              Brexit and Pro-EU airport channels in opposite directions.

              Pro-EU voices must ensure Europe stays top of the general election agenda

              7 February 2023

              The methods of Russian interference in Scottish politics

              27 December 2022
              A scene of people demonstrating, holding Scotland flags. One man wears a tartan cap and holds a blue flag with both the Scottish cross and the EU stars on it.

              Is Alister Jack sane?

              15 January 2023

              BROWSE BY TAGS

              Alister Jack Brexit Christmas Climate change Covid Culture Defence Democracy Devolution Gender Recognition Reform Glasgow Halloween health History Holyrood independence IndyRef2 Johnson Journalism Liz Truss Long Covid Monarchy nationalism NATO NHS Nicola Sturgeon politics Poverty Putin Russia Sars-CoV-2 Scotland Security Security and Defence shipbuilding SNP St Andrews Sunak Supreme Court Tories Tourism Twitter Ukraine UK Supreme Court War in Ukraine
              Bylines Scotland

              We are a not-for-profit citizen journalism publication. Our aim is to publish well-written, fact-based articles and opinion pieces on subjects that are of interest to people in Scotland and beyond.

              Bylines Scotland is a trading brand of Bylines Network Limited, which is a sister organisation to Byline Times.

              Learn more about us

              No Result
              View All Result
              • Bylines network
              • About
              • Authors
              • Contact
              • Donate
              • Privacy

              © 2022 Bylines Scotland. Citizen Journalism | Local & Internationalist

              No Result
              View All Result
              • Home
              • News
                • Scotland
                • World
              • Politics
                • Council Areas
                • Europe
                • Holyrood
                • Rest of UK
                • Westminster
              • Business
                • Fishing
                • Trade
                • Transport
              • Health
              • Environment
                • Climate Change
              • Opinion
              • Donate

              © 2022 Bylines Scotland. Citizen Journalism | Local & Internationalist

              Welcome Back!

              Login to your account below

              Forgotten Password?

              Retrieve your password

              Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

              Log In