In the months leading up to the Massacre, large numbers of Scottish government troops were sent to Fort William as army commanders prepared for operations against the Jacobite clans. For the Jacobites in Edinburgh it was a powerful piece of anti-government propaganda. This modern (constructed in 2002) visitor centre houses a coffee shop, store, and information centre. The signed order for the Massacre of Glencoe will be unveiled along with nine other artefacts at the National Library of Scotland to mark the end of the Year of Homecoming. Looking downhill towards the mouth of the Glencoe Valley in decent weather. This is by the Kings speciall command, for the good & safety of the Country, that these miscreants be cutt off root and branch. Despite the reputation the event has retained, contemporaries seem to have viewed it less seriously. Treason! We’ll stop off at the slate quarry and the National Trust visitor centre to learn the story of the 1692 massacre of Glencoe. When the full force of the King’s Justice is seen to come down upon them, that example will be as conspicuous and useful as is his clemency to others. In primary schools children were taught that the MacDonalds of Glencoe were massacred by the Campbells, a neighbouring clan who had an ancient animosity towards the MacDonalds. Massacre of Glencoe, (February 13, 1692), in Scottish history, the treacherous slaughter of members of the MacDonald clan of Glencoe by soldiers under Archibald Campbell, 10th earl of Argyll. The Massacre of Glencoe is one of the most talked about and least understood episodes in Scottish history. Corrections? MacIain left Fort William with Colonel Hill’s letter and made the arduous journey south to Inveraray in horrendous winter conditions, his progress would have been slow. Glencoe is a village located in the Scottish Highlands about 90 miles north of Glasgow. Expecting you will not faill in the full-filling hereof, as you love your selfe, I subscribe these with my hand att Balicholis Feb: 12, 1692.For their Majesties service”. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, ed. The massacre was to begin simultaneously in three settlements along the glen (Invercoe, Inverrigan, and Achacon) although the killing took place all over the glen as the fleeing MacDonalds were pursued and slain. Historic attractions, places to visit and events. In the early hours of the 13th February 1692, Scottish Government soldiers under the command of Robert Campbell of Glenlyon carry out the Massacre of Glencoe on their MacDonald hosts.. To learn more about the mountains and the natural history of Glencoe, and the events which led to the infamous massacre of 1692, a visit to the nearby Visitor Centre is highly recommended. The Massacre of Glencoe. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Glenlyon’s estates neighboured the MacDonald lands and they had been ravaged by the MacDonalds in the past, the most recent when MacDonald clansmen were returning home following the Battle of Dunkeld. When the news reached the Scottish Privy Council in Edinburgh that MacIain had taken the oath after the deadline had passed they took the Macdonalds of Glencoe off of the indemnity list. But the incident which to this day still arouses the strongest passions was the massacre of the MacIans (a sept of the clan Donald) in Glen Coe in 1692. Edited and published in Ayrshire, Scotland. The Massacre was ordered by Sir John Dalrymple, Secretary of State of Scotland, as punishment for the MacDonald’s chief, MacIain, not swearing the oath of loyalty to the new king, William of Orange, before the deadline of 31st December 1691. Several easy, low level, circular walks start at the center. This you are to putt in execution attfyve of the clock precisely; and by that time, or very shortly after it, I’ll strive to be att you with a stronger party: if I doe not come to you att fyve, you are not to tarry for me, but to fall on. Since the soldiers had committed the massacre as guests of the MacDonalds, the Massacre of Glencoe was a clear example of Murder under Trust, or ‘Slaughter under Trust’ in Scots Law. The Glencoe Massacre Monument: Tickets & Tours‎ ... rannoch moor natural beauty amazing scenery ski lift take photos scottish highlands sunny day fort william road trip trip to scotland national trust west highland way visitor center massacre clouds skyfall hike campbells. The revolution in England had been accomplished almost without bloodshed, but in Scotland and Ireland there was armed resistance. The ‘Devils Staircase’ was given its name by soldiers involved in the construction of Major William Caulfeild’s military road from Kinlochleven to Glencoe in 1752. It’s known for its magical landscape, which has made it a popular filming location for movies such as Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Rob Roy, and Highlander.But Glencoe is also remembered for a story of clan betrayal that led to a tragic and bloody Glencoe Massacre in 1692. The troops had been billeted with the MacDonalds of Glencoe since early February and were under the command of Captain Robert Campbell of Glenlyon. The claim that it was simply a Campbell-MacDonald feud appears in the mid-19th century when many were keen to absolve the government and King William from any blame. The order to carry out the killings would have come as a terrible shock to Glenlyon and most of his troops. The soldiers arrived at Glen Coe 12 days before the massacre, as friends, seeking shelter due to the fact that the fort was full. This account gives you the historical background that led up to the massacre as well as details of the massacre and the repercussions as a result of it. Lieutenant-Colonel Hamilton’s force did not enter the glen until around 11 o’clock. His two sons, John and Alexander were able to escape. Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832). However, there did not appear to be any open animosity between Glenlyon and MacIain. (Image credit: Derek Alexander/National Trust for Scotland) Glencoe Massacre Memorial (Kim Traynor via Wikimedia Commons under CC BY SA-3.0) For nearly two weeks, the 100 or so soldiers lived amicably alongside the MacDonalds. The massacre of the Glencoe MacDonalds by government troops in 1692 took place during a blizzard in the depths of winter. See that this be putt in execution without feud or favour, else you may expect to be dealt with as one not true to King nor Government, nor a man fitt to carry Commissione in the Kings service. He can be found on Twitter: @NeilRitchie86. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. In the early hours of the 13th February 1692, 120 Scots Army soldiers of the Earl of Argyll’s Regiment of Foot from Fort William, carry out the Massacre of Glencoe. History of Glencoe. Much of the glen is owned by the National Trust for Scotland. The MacDonalds of Glencoe and the Campbells of Glenlyon fought together on the Jacobite side during the Jacobite Rebellion of 1715. The total number of soldiers involved would have numbered over 900. So-called because of the difficulties of carrying the materials up the steep stretch of the road. The infamy of the massacre of Glencoe is not so much in the numbers killed, but in the way it was carried out. There is a haunting quality about the moor-clad mountains that stand as sentinels over the eight-mile-long glen which runs from east to west along the northern border of Argyll. The delay could also have been due to the weather conditions. Massacre of Glencoe, (February 13, 1692), in Scottish history, the treacherous slaughter of members of the MacDonald clan of Glencoe by soldiers under Archibald Campbell, 10th earl of Argyll.Many Scottish clans had remained loyal to King James II after he was replaced on the English and Scottish thrones by William III in 1689. I hope what’s done there may be done in earnest, since the rest of them are in no condition to draw together to help. On the Massacre of Glencoe. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Also located in the village, but along the A82, is the Glencoe Visitor Centre, run by the National Trust for Scotland. The Glencoe MacDonalds were a Jacobite clan, supporting the deposed King James VII/II, and had fought for him at the battles of Killiecrankie and Dunkeld. It is understood that the soldiers were under the command of Captain Thomas Drummond of Argyll’s regiment. Landowners are being asked to donate turf to help reconstruct a traditional ‘creel’ house in Glencoe that would have stood at the time of infamous massacre of 1692. Glenlyon and his men would not have been aware of what they would be later ordered to do, indeed, later testimony by soldiers involved stated that it wasn’t until the orders came through on that fateful morning did they have any idea. Alexander MacDonald of Glencoe postponed his submission until December 31, 1691, and was then unable to take his oath until January 6 because there was no magistrate at Fort William to receive it. It should be noted that the Massacre of Glencoe was not an isolated act by Scottish government forces. In 1692 Alexander MacDonald of Glen Coe…, …refusal of the Macdonalds of Glencoe to join in the submission to him that he organized a terrible massacre that made his name notorious. More than 100 of Argyll’s soldiers, who had been quartered amicably upon the MacDonalds for more than a week, suddenly attacked them. VI-VIII © Copyright 2021. Glenlyon and two companies of Argyll’s Regiment marched into Glencoe on 1st February. Archaeologists from the National Trust for Scotland have excavated parts of the "lost village" of Achtriochtan at Glencoe in the Scottish Highlands, the scene of an infamous massacre in 1692. John Campbell, earl of Breadalbane and Holland, a neighbour and an enemy of the MacDonalds, was widely suspected of planning the attack but was not its main instigator; his imprisonment in 1695 was for earlier involvement with the Jacobites. This you are to putt in execution attfyve of the clock precisely; and by that time, or very shortly after it, I’ll strive to be att you with a stronger party: if I doe not come to you att fyve, you are not to tarry for me, but to fall on. Updates? 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