Massacre of Glencoe

Massacre of Glencoe
Part of Jacobite rising of 1689
After the Massacre of Glencoe, Peter Graham
Date 13 February 1692 Location Glen Coe, Argyll, Scotland
Belligerents
Kingdom of Scotland	Clan MacDonald of Glencoe
Commanders and leaders
Major Duncanson Captain Glenlyon Colonel Hamilton Colonel Hill	Alasdair MacIain
Strength
920	Unknown
Casualties and losses
None	About 30 killed[1]

The Massacre of Glencoe^[a] took place in Glen Coe in the Highlands of Scotland on 13 February 1692. An estimated 30 members and associates of Clan MacDonald of Glencoe were killed by Scottish government forces, allegedly for failing to pledge allegiance to the new monarchs, William III and Mary II.

Although the Jacobite rising of 1689 had largely been suppressed by May 1690, a continuing need to police the Highlands diverted military resources from the Nine Years' War in Flanders. In late 1690, clan leaders loyal to the exiled House of Stuart agreed to swear allegiance to William and Mary, in return for a cash payment of £12,000. However, disagreements over how this should be divided between the clans meant by December 1691 none had taken the oath.

In response, Lord Stair, Scottish Secretary of State, decided to show the consequences of further delay. While others, including the Keppoch MacDonalds, also missed the deadline, the Glencoe MacDonalds appear to have been selected due to a combination of clan politics, and a reputation for lawlessness.

While similar events were not unknown in earlier Scottish history, this was no longer the case by 1692, and the brutality of the massacre shocked contemporaries. It became a significant element in the persistence of Jacobitism in the Highlands during the first half of the 18th century, and remains a powerful symbol to this day.

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