Duke of Sutherland Monument on Ben Bhraggie in Golspie, Scotland

The Duke of Sutherland statue from 1837 has been contested already since the 1990s, when organisations and locals from the Highlands asked for its removal due to the Duke’s involvement in the Highland clearances. In the last decades there have been different petitions and actions asking for its removal, for example, in 2007 there was a counter-monument erected. The contestation continues until today, especially after the social movement of 2020 and the discussion on how to deal with British statues linked to slavery and imperialism. This case illustrates the local activism attempts at removing and contextualising Sutherland’s statue.