The living Conditions of immigrants in Scotland

• Overcrowding was common and large families were forced to live in small spaces often with up to 12 people in one tenement
• Many people lived in 'single ends' - houses consisting of one room only
• Other more prosperous immigrants lived in a 'room and kitchen'
• The tenements lacked washing facilities and toilets
• These were usually shared amongst many families and in separate buildings
• There was no running water so it was collected from a shared standpipe on the street
• Disease spread due to the lack of sanitation and overcrowding
• Diseases such as typhus and tuberculosis spread quickly as people lived so close together and fresh air was lacking
• Water was frequently contaminated with sewage and as a result, cholera was common
• There was a lack of ventilation in the tenements due to a lack of windows
• Middens (heaps of refuse) were located behind the houses - they created foul air and attracted rats