▁Long ▁after ▁the ▁triumph ▁of ▁the ▁Church ▁of ▁Scotland ▁in ▁the ▁Low lands , ▁High land ers ▁and ▁Island ers ▁cl ung ▁to ▁an ▁old - f ashion ed ▁Christian ity ▁inf used ▁with ▁anim istic ▁folk ▁belief s ▁and ▁practices . ▁The ▁rem oten ess ▁of ▁the ▁region ▁and ▁the ▁lack ▁of ▁a ▁G ael ic - spe aking ▁cler gy ▁und erm ined ▁the ▁mission ary ▁efforts ▁of ▁the ▁established ▁church . ▁The ▁later ▁ 1 8 th ▁century ▁saw ▁some ▁success , ▁ow ing ▁to ▁the ▁efforts ▁of ▁the ▁S SP CK ▁mission aries ▁and ▁to ▁the ▁dis ruption ▁of ▁traditional ▁society . ▁Catholic ism ▁had ▁been ▁reduced ▁to ▁the ▁fr ing es ▁of ▁the ▁country , ▁particularly ▁the ▁G ael ic - spe aking ▁areas ▁of ▁the ▁High lands ▁and ▁Islands . ▁Cond itions ▁also ▁grew ▁worse ▁for ▁C athol ics ▁after ▁the ▁Jacob ite ▁re bell ions ▁and ▁Catholic ism ▁was ▁reduced ▁to ▁little ▁more ▁than ▁a ▁poor ly - run ▁mission . ▁Also ▁important ▁was ▁Epis cop al ian ism , ▁which ▁had ▁retained ▁supp or ters ▁through ▁the ▁civil ▁wars ▁and ▁changes ▁of ▁regime ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 7 th ▁century . ▁Since ▁most ▁Epis cop ali ans ▁had ▁given ▁their ▁support ▁to ▁the ▁Jacob ite ▁re bell ions ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 8 th ▁century , ▁they ▁also ▁suffered ▁a ▁decl ine ▁in ▁fort unes . ▁▁ 1 9 th ▁century ▁ ▁After ▁prolong ed ▁years ▁of ▁struggle , ▁in ▁ 1 8 3