Massacre of Glencoe

Massacre of Glencoe Mort Ghlinne Comhann
Part of the first Jacobite uprising
Glencoe
Date 13 February 1692 Location Glen Coe, south of Fort William, Scotland grid reference NN12675646 Coordinates: 56°39′45″N 5°3′25″W / 56.66250°N 5.05694°W / 56.66250; -5.05694 Result MacDonalds massacred
Belligerents
Earl of Argyll's Regiment of Foot (Clan Campbell & Lowland Scots)	Clan MacDonald of Glencoe
Commanders and leaders
Robert Campbell of Glenlyon	Alasdair MacIain
Strength
120	Unknown
Casualties and losses
None	78
Location within Scotland

Early in the morning of 13 February 1692, in the aftermath of the Glorious Revolution and the Jacobite uprising of 1689 led by John Graham of Claverhouse, a massacre took place in Glen Coe, in the Highlands of Scotland. This incident is referred to as the massacre of Glencoe, or in Scottish Gaelic Mort Ghlinne Comhann, or murder of Glen Coe. The massacre began simultaneously in three settlements along the glen—Invercoe, Inverrigan, and Achnacon—although the killing took place all over the glen as fleeing MacDonalds were pursued. Thirty-eight MacDonalds from the Clan MacDonald of Glencoe were killed by the guests who had accepted their hospitality, on the grounds that the MacDonalds had not been prompt in pledging allegiance to the new monarchs, William and Mary. Another forty women and children died of exposure after their homes were burned.

In 1688, William, Prince of Orange accepted an invitation to take the throne of England, glad to enlist English help in his wars with France. The Scottish Parliament was more cautious and requested letters from him and James VII (ousted as James II of England). James' response displeased the Scots, and persuaded them to accept William as their King. In response, John Graham, 1st Viscount of Dundee, led a force of Scottish Highlanders in Jacobite uprisings in an attempt to return the throne to James. Viscount 'Bonnie' Dundee was killed at the Battle of Killiecrankie, and the Jacobites were subsequently defeated by the Scottish Cameronian forces at the Battle of Dunkeld. On their way home from this battle the MacIains of Glencoe (a sept of Clan Donald), together with their Glengarry cousins, looted the lands of Robert Campbell of Glenlyon and stole his livestock, increasing his problems with gambling debts and forcing him to take an army commission to provide for his family. In his subsequent appeal for compensation, Campbell showed he clearly believed the Glengarry men to be the more culpable, making no mention of Glencoe.