On 23rd July 2007 the Emigrants statue at Helmsdale was unveiled.
The statue commemorates the huge numbers of people evicted from their ancestral homes during the Highland Clearances. The statue depicts four figures. The kilted man is looking ahead into an unknown future, while beside him a boy is looking up to him for guidance or reassurance. The woman, wrapped in a shawl, is holding a baby and is looking back towards the home they have been forced to leave.
The statue is located in Couper Park above the river, village and harbour. It was commissioned by Dennis MacLeod, who was born and raised in Helmsdale before making his fortune in gold mining in South Africa.
The inscription on the monument, in Gaelic and English, reads :
"The Emigrants commemorates the people of the Highlands and Islands of Scotland who, in the face of great adversity, sought freedom, hope and justice beyond these shores. They and their descendants went forth and explored continents, built great countries and cities and gave their enterprise and culture to the world. This is their legacy. Their voices will echo forever thro the empty straths and glens of their homeland"
A replica of the 30 foot bronze statue was cast and shipped to the Canadian City of Winnipeg.
