This is one of those ones where you've walked into the middle of an academic argument, and the author is trying to prove that the other guy is wrong! Wrong, I tell you! But you've never heard of the argument, and certainly have no skin in the game.

Anyway, Whyte would like us to know that agriculture in 17th Scotland was not stagnant, and that many people were doing lots of things to try bring up production levels, and that 100% just didn't start in the 1750s! In the process, he does what I wanted out of the book, which was a detailed look at (mostly) Lowlands agriculture, what crops were planted how, patterns of migration and trade, and a bit about social mobility. The book covers at least some of the 18th century, at least in that it indicates where the changes he mentions ended up going. It's detailed and interesting, even if did skim a few sections not relevant to my interests.