Hi Deb, I have no particular specialist knowledge of Highland family life as far as twins are concerned, but I doubt if there is a specific tradition of separating the care of twins. What I do know, because it effected my father's large family, there was a strong tradition of the extended family. At times of trouble, death of a parent (commonly the mother in childbirth), illness, reduced circumstances, for instance, children were often looked after by other family members, aunts and uncles, cousins even, would take a child into their families if their own circumstances allowed, and this may be particularly appropriate where the birth of twins put a heavy demand on meagre family resources. This is still quite common in poor communities abroad - the Middle and Far East for instance, and it was quite common in the USA and Canada in the olden days. The nature of Highland society also facilitated this. The clan system was in itself an extended family, plus, in small communities there was a huge amount of intermarriage. In certain small communities in Rossshire (Inver for instance) consanguinity became a big problem. Also, (and this hasn't changed much in Rossshire) even when they were not related, everybody knew everybody else over considerable distances (this is true of Scotland in general). Finally, hospitality (in its broadest sense) was very important in the Highlands, and the strong feeling of kinship and community made the informal, ad hoc, fostering of children a normal part of community life. Lachie