At the beginning of the 18th century the west of Scotland was a relatively poor region. Most people lived a hand to mouth existence, at the mercy of the weather. By the end of the century the region was on the way to becoming a major economic power. This was not just in Scotland, Britain and Europe, but on a global scale. The changes which took place often come under the term Industrial Revolution and have been the subject of many general studies. Despite this attention, remarkably little has been done on what was actually happening at local or regional level. In effect, the history has been...