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Massacre of Glencoe
In 1689 the MacDonald's of Glencoe fought in the Battle of Killiecrankie alongside other Jacobites, supporters of the deposed King James VII. The Jacobites won that battle, but lost their cause following the death of their leader, Viscount Dundee. In August 1691 William of Orange offered to pardon the rebel clans that had fought against him - providing they signed an oath of allegiance before 1st January 1692. MacIain, the chief of the MacDonalds of Glencoe, wrote to the exiled James asking permission before taking the oath. This was granted, but the reply did not arrive until 31st December 1691. That day MacIain presented himself to the governor of Fort William, but the oath had to be made to a civil magistrate and he was sent to Inveraray 60 miles away with a letter stating that he had made a verbal acceptance within the time stated. He was held up on the way to Inveraray and when he arrived the sheriff depute, Campbell of Ardkinglass, was absent. As a result his oath was not given officially until 6th January 1692. He was told that his oath would have to be submitted to the privy council in Edinburgh, but that Colonel Hill in Fort William would be asked to take the clan under his protection. MacIain returned to Glencoe convinced that all was well. Unfortunately that wasn't the case as plans were made for the MacDonald's to be wiped out. On 7th January Sir John Dalrymple, Master of Stair and the Secretary of State for Scotland, wrote to Sir Thomas Livingstone, the commanding officer of the army in Scotland, with orders to destroy the MacDonalds. He, along with the Campbells of Argyll and Breadalbane, had been planning this for over a month. Using the lateness of MacIain's submission as an excuse, Dalrymple wrote to Livingstone and Colonel Hill with further instructions. On 1st February 1692, 120 of Argyll's regiment, under the command of Captain Robert Campbell of Glenlyon, arrived in Glencoe. Campbell told MacIain that the garrison at Fort William was full as his soldiers were to be housed in the glen. The soldiers lived with the people of Glencoe, eating their food and accepting their hospitality, until the 13th February. Then in the early hours Campbell gave the order for the massacre to begin. MacIain was shot in the back as he rose from his bed and his wife was beaten to death.
A Celtic cross stands in Carnoch, also known as Glencoe village, as a monument to the massacre. The cross bears the following words: In memory of MacIain, Chief of Glencoe, who fell with his people in the massacre of Glencoe. MacIain is buried on Eilean Munde on Loch Leven - the ancient burial ground of the MacDonalds of Glencoe. |
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The infamous massacre of the
MacDonald's of Glencoe took place on the 13th February 1692.
About forty of the one hundred and fifty adults of the
village were killed - as were some of the elderly and children. Many managed to
escape, but succumbed to the freezing elements.
