Mystery of Gaelic graffiti with links to Highland Clearances found in Edinburgh

A rare piece of Gaelic graffiti has emerged in Edinburgh.

The slogan "Is treasa tuath na tighearna" has been spotted at the Innocent Railway in the south side of the city.

It is the slogan of the Highland Land League, a political force set up in the late 19th Century against to fight for better treatment of crofters and tenants following the Highland Clearances.

The slogan translates to "The people are mightier than a lord."

Graffiti featuring the Gaelic slogan of the Highland Land League, which was set up to improve the rights of crofters and tenants in the late 19th Century, has appeared in Edinburgh. PIC: Julie Berman.

Her friend, Fergus Smith, posted an image of the graffiti on Twitter.

He said it was the first time he had seen such graffiti and suggested it may be linked to another scrawl - 'noairbnb' - that was spotted nearby.

The first Highland Land League, also known as the Highland Land Law Reform Association and the Crofters Party, emerged as a distinct political force in Scotland during the 1880s.

It was involved in actions of land reform agitation which resulted in the police and Army brought in to subdue land raids and other protests, with court cases often following.

The group followed the setting up of the Napier Commission which heard evidence from those who had been cleared from their land, as well as their descendants.

The government drew up a Bill to meet in part the demands of the Highland Land Law Reform Association and in 1885 it became the Crofter's Holdings Act which gave the crofters certain rights, including security of tenure.