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The events leading up to the massacre
at Glencoe are important to the understanding of the massacre
itself. King William, on the 27th August 1691, offered all
Highland clans a pardon as long as they took an oath of allegiance
before January 1st 1692 in front of a magistrate, if they
did not sign they were threatened with death. Alastair MacDonald,
the head of the MacDonald clan in Glencoe, left his journey
to Inveraray for the signing until the very last minute. It
is possible that he did not take the threat of death seriously
or maybe he was just old and did not relish the journey in
mid winter,whatever the reasons he did not leave home until
December 30 and then went to Inverlochy (Fort William) where
he discovered he was at the wrong place. Both bad weather
and Government troops delayed him and he arrived at Inveraray
two days late, he was then kept waiting for three days making
him five days late in total. MacDonald thought he was safe
but King William, Sir John Dalrymple of Stair, the Secretary
of State, and John Campbell, Earl of Breadalbane all thought
he deserved punishment.
In fact they had already stationed a punitive force at Inverlochy
and wanted to use them to 'root out that damnable sept'. The
planning for the massacre was undertaken by Major Robert Duncanson
and Lieutenant-Colonel Hamilton, neither of which had any
connections with the clans of Glencoe. |
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When two advance units were sent to Glencoe
on the 1st February they were under the command of Captain
Robert Campbell of Glen Lyon, an alcoholic gambler who had
lost most of his estates. Campbell asked for, and received,
hospitality from the MacDonald's of Glencoe, the two companies
stayed in various homes for ten days before the written orders
were received by Campbell.
On the 12th February Campbell received orders from Duncanson
to kill all the MacDonalds that were under seventy years of
age at five am. This breach of clan hospitality was one of
the reasons that the massacre became so infamous. His task
was anything but easy, however, as he only had a force of
120 against several hundred, the weather was terrible, and
it was dark. Reinforcements were supposed to be arriving under
Duncanson and Hamilton, but they may have delayed their arrival
deliberately so as to appear innocent of the massacre. Although
there were around a dozen Campbell's in the Government force
there were 120 in total and they were operating under orders.
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The order to 'put all to the sword' |
View along Glencoe |
The massacre was incompetently undertaken
with around ten per cent of the MacDonalds killed, and both
the chief's sons and his grandson nowhere to be seen. Many of
those killed were murdered at places which can still be seen,
eight or nine were tied up and shot at Inverigan, one man at
Invercoe was shot at the river while the chief and his wife
were murdered at their home at Carnoch. Although the troops
had been ordered to kill only those 'under seventy' a man of
eighty was killed, along with a child, at Achnacon. Another
group were killed at Achtriochtan. In total about 38 were murdered
but at least three hundred escaped into the hills although many
died of cold and starvation in the following weeks. When Hamilton's
forces finally arrived they only found one old man alive in
any of the villages and they killed him. |
It was an Irish journalist, Charles Leslie, that caused a political
scandal with a pamphlet he published which showed that there had
been a high-level cover-up, however, it was more than three years
later before any reprimands were handed out. Dalrymple was forced
to resign but was soon back in the political arena, Colonel Hamilton
vanished, Duncanson was killed in battle and Captain Campbell died
a pauper in Bruges.
The king formally pardoned John, the 13th Chief of Glencoe, who
rebuilt the family home at Carnoch while his brother, Alastair,
fought in the Jacobite rebellion in 1715
alongside John Campbell, the son of Captain Campbell. The last stand
of the men of Glencoe was at Culloden,
after the defeat their houses were again burned and the Chief imprisoned.
View of Glencoe from the visitor centre |
Glencoe |
History Books on Glencoe:
| Author |
Title |
Published |
Price |
Order
Now From: |
| Prebble, John |
Glencoe |
1968 |
£8.99 |
Amazon.co.uk |
| Another of Prebble's classic descriptions
of events in Scottish history, which have remained in print
for far longer than most books as they have never been bettered.
In this one he tells the story of the Massacre of the MacDonalds
of Glencoe by Campbell soldiers on the orders of the government
- a deed that was made all the worse by the fact that the soldiers
were living under MacDonald hospitality at the time. |
 |
| Roberts, John L. |
Clan, King and Covenant |
2000 |
£14.95
or
$23.00 |
Amazon.co.uk
or
Amazon.com |
| The history of the Highland clans
from the Civil War to the Glencoe Massacre. |
 |
History books on this time period:
| Author |
Title |
Published |
Price |
Order
Now From: |
| Ferguson, William |
The Edinburgh History of Scotland: Vol 4 1689
to the Present |
1975 |
£16.99 |
Amazon.co.uk |
The four-volume Edinburgh History of Scotland
is the most important project in Scottish historical writing
for more than half a century; each volume is written by
an expert on the period who brings to his work the direct
acquaintance with original sources on which authoritative
historical writing can alone be based.
This, the fourth volume, originally covered the history
of Scotland from the Revolution of 1689 to 1967. The paperback
edition was updated to include a brief review of the ten
years to 1977. Political, ecclesiastical, economic, social
and cultural developments all receive consideration, and
the interaction of these factors is stressed throughout.
But the treatment varies. For the 18th century, separate
chapters are devoted to specific themes, thus enabling
the reader to appreciate the background to ecclesiastical,
social and economic movements. Then, on the ground so
established, after 1832 the various factors at work in
any given period are synthesised in a unified narrative.
The result is the most comprehensive and substantial volume
on modern Scotland. It incorporates the findings of recent
research, including the author's own work, and challenges
many accepted verdicts. The book is fully referenced and,
as a guide to further reading, has a detailed critical
bibliography.v |
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|
| Mitchison, Rosalind |
Lordship to Patronage: Scotland 1603-1745 |
1990 |
£9.95
or
$20.00 |
Amazon.co.uk
or
Amazon.com |
Drawing on political, constitutional, religious, economic
and social studies, Professor Mitchison outlines the growing
bonds between England and Scotland, beginning with James
VI's succession and culminating in the Act of Union in
1707.
She argues that the union of the two states has had a
distorting effect on Scottish history, constantly prompting
comparisons of the constitutions and achievements of the
two countries, rather than placing Scotland in a European
context. This book attempts to redress the balance.
First published as part of the New History of Scotland
series this is a highly readable and straightforward introduction
to early modern Scotland. |
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