The Glencoe Massacre Site Plaque – Image courtesy Deadline News

A plaque commemorating the victims of the Glencoe Massacre has been discovered in an Edinburgh antique shop, 40 years after it went missing. The cast-iron sign once marked the site where 38 Clan MacDonald members were murdered in 1692. The plaque is set to be returned to its original home near the Pap of Glencoe this week to commemorate the 320th anniversary of the massacre.

Said to be at least 100 years old, the plaque went missing sometime in the 1970s. In September last year, Edinburgh antique dealer George Pirie stumbled upon the sign and placed it in his shop window. He said the plaque was sold to him by someone who had it their possession for “several years”.

Its ­significance was only recognised when a woman – also a MacDonald – asked if it was the original which she had seen in Glencoe in the 1960s. Mr Pirie said: “She had a picture of her with the sign taken years before, but it had been a different colour at the time. We started chipping away at the paint and right enough, it was the same underneath.”

Morag McDonald said she recognised the plaque immediately from an old family photo which sits upon her desk at home. She said: “I remember my dad was always enraged that it had disappeared and never been replaced with anything to commemorate the scene of the massacre. He went on quite a bit about it over the years.”

Mr Pirrie said: “With this industry these exciting finds happen from time to time but this one is really quite significant.” He was then contacted by the head of the MacDonald clan and the Glencoe National Trust who were keen to restore the sign, but not before first being approached by numerous private buyers.

The antique dealer will travel to a special private ceremony in Glencoe this Thursday where he will gift the sign back to the clan members. The plaque’s discoverer Ms McDonald said she looked forward to seeing the sign once again in its rightful spot.

The Glencoe Massacre is commonly referred to as the ‘most appalling abuse of Highland hospitality’, in which 38 MacDonald of Glencoe clansmen were murdered on direct orders from the crown. The death warrant signed by King William III provided flames to fuel the Jacobite’s cause and subsequent rebellions, and contributed to generations of unease between the MacDonald and Campbell Clans.

The Glencoe Heritage Trust was set up by local crofter Alistair MacDonald, a descendant of the MacDonalds of Glencoe in order that this most scenic area of Glencoe remains in local hands. The acquisition of the land was a rare opportunity for the local community to ensure the preservation of this unique landscape, and to raise awareness of the historical importance of their land both locally and worldwide.

The post Glencoe Plaque Found in Edinburgh Antique Shop appeared first on ScotClans | Scottish Clans.

It’s a well-known and begrudgingly accepted fact that Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin loves to kill off central characters. In episode nine of the third season of the television series based on the books, three deaths in the space of mere minutes provoked an excessive amount of mortified outcry in almost every media outlet imaginable a few weeks ago. Such shocked reactions are nothing new to Martin – ever since the third book was published a decade ago, he’s been receiving exclamatory emails and letters from heartbroken readers about the disastrous Stark-Tully-Frey union. In a nutshell, three members of the much-loved but ill-fated Stark family and hundreds of Stark bannermen were slaughtered at a wedding, decisively snuffing out the King of the North’s claim to the throne of Westeros.

After heartbreakingly accidentally reading a tiny spoiler via a newspaper, I finally watched the final two episodes of season three a week after the episodes were released. Once the shock subsided and I finally stopped weeping, I was very intrigued to discover that Martin based the fateful ‘Red Wedding’ on two specific events from Scottish clan history. In an interview with EW, Martin said: “No matter how much I make up, there’s stuff in history that’s just as bad, or worse.”

The first event dates back to the fifteenth century, when Clan Douglas were one of the most powerful families in lowland Scotland. Rival families including Clan Crichton felt the Douglases were far too strong and capable of upsetting the delicate power-balance in Scotland at that point. In 1440 King James II was only ten years of age, and the ambitious and influential clan chief William Douglas could have easily gained control of the throne. So Clan Crichton, with the help of Alexander Livingston of Callendar, set out to extinguish the Douglas threat.

In 1440 Sir William Crichton, custodian of Edinburgh Castle, invited William Douglas and his younger brother David to dine with the young king; with the siblings suspecting nothing as the evening proceeded. Near the end of the dinner, a black bull’s head (the symbol of death) was placed on the table by a servant. The two brothers were then seized and dragged out to Castle Hill at the top of the Royal Mile. They were given a mock-trial and accused of various crimes including high treason, before being lead to the headman’s block where they both met a grisly demise with the swing of the executioners axe.

A depiction of the Black Dinner, an inspiration for the Red Wedding

This event came to be known as the ‘Black Dinner’, and just as in Thrones, a family were murdered after the unspoken laws and customs of hospitality were breached. Unsurprisingly the rest of Clan Douglas were quick to retaliate, laying siege to Edinburgh Castle and causing considerable damage. Perceiving the danger, Crichton surrendered the castle to King James who was then given the title of Lord Crichton. This was a politically astute move as challenging the decision would have meant challenging the king himself and left them fighting an unwinnable war against much of Scotland.

The discussion on the laws of hospitality that frequent the final two episodes also eerily draw from the events of the Massacre of Glencoe, which I blogged about earlier this year. In the final episode of the series, Bran speaks of a Lord who killed guests beneath his roof, saying “it’s something the Gods cannot forgive“. In 1692 32 Clan MacDonald members were murdered by Clan Campbell on direct orders from the crown, after providing accommodation to Campbell clansmen for the previous two weeks. The massacre was considered especially awful as it was considered ‘slaughter under trust’, and is still commemorated to this day.

I’m also convinced that Martin based his family/house structures in the series on the Scottish clan system. Every Thrones house has a coat of arms, words, leader, seat and region; just as each clan has their own crest, motto, chief, seat and region. I’ve made a comparison below between House Lannister from the series, and Clan MacGregor:

House Lannister
Words - Hear Me Roar!
Current Leader - Joffrey Baratheon
King of the Seven Kingdoms
Seat - Casterley Rock
Region - The Westerlands

Clan MacGregor
Motto – ‘S rioghal mo dhream (My race is royal)
Current Chief - Sir Malcolm MacGregor of MacGregor
The 7th baronet of Lanrick and Balquhidder
Seat - Bannatyne
Region - Argyll and Perthshire

The clans of Scotland have certainly captured the imagination of Martin, hundreds of years after these fateful events occurred. Like millions of others around the world, I sit with bated breath awaiting the next installment in the Game of Thrones series. Just in case you’re wondering, you can check here how many weeks and days are remaining by clicking here!

The post How the Clans Inspired Game of Thrones appeared first on ScotClans | Scottish Clans.

A memorial stands at the site today, with the Scottish Socialist Republican Movement marching through the streets of the village of Glencoe to the memorial annually on the anniversary. This year, a copy of the proclamation instructing troops to massacre the MacDonalds (below) was set alight. In recent commemorations the group have filmed themselves burning a Union flag.

Following a series of Jacobite risings in 1689 (including the Battle of Killcrankie), newly crowned King William III sought to subdue rebellious Highlanders by offering them a pardon. An order was received that all clan chiefs must swear allegiance to the King by 1 January 1692 or be punished with the “utmost extremity of the law”. John Dalrymple, Master of Stair and Scottish Secretary of State, used the deadline to his own political advantage and set about hindering clans from signing their allegiance. He had a deep dislike for highlanders (particularly the MacDonalds of Glencoe) and felt their way of life was a step backwards for Scotland.

MacIain, chief of the MacDonalds, was still bound by oath to James Stuart, the deposed King in France. It was December 12 before James had released the clans from their oath and December 28 before a messenger arrived in the Highlands with the news. MacIain rushed to sign the oath but was delayed and detained by Campbell soldiers along the way. He eventually signed the oath late, but it was rejected by John Dalrymple in Edinburgh, providing a way for him to get rid of the MacDonalds once and for all.

A Campbell-dominated Argyll regiment arrived in Glencoe twelve days before the massacre, claiming the nearby fort was full. The MacDonalds, honouring the Highland hospitality code, duly gave the soldiers quarter in their own houses, with neither clan nor soldiers aware of what lay ahead. On the night of February 13, a blizzard howled through Glencoe, and the soldiers received orders that they were to kill all MacDonald clansmen. In the morning, 38 lay dead including the chief MacIain, with another 40 women and children dead as a result of exposure after their houses had been burned.

Many were able to escape the massacre with some historians claiming that some Campbell men, disgusted at their orders, alerted the families who had been their hosts, giving them time to wrap up for the terrible wintery conditions outside. News of the massacre provoked outrage around Scotland resulting in an inquiry conducted by the Scottish Parliament. Even though the orders had been signed by the King himself, the inquiry sought to exonerate the King and place the blame on John Dalrymple, who had resigned from his post. The whole matter was forgotten in a matter of months, even though it was suggested that the government should pay compensation to the surviving members of the MacDonald Clan.

You are hereby ordered to fall upon the rebels, the McDonalds of Glenco, and put all to the sword under seventy. you are to have a speciall care that the old Fox and his sons doe upon no account escape your hands, you are to secure all the avenues that no man escape. This you are to putt in execution att fyve 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. This is by the Kings speciall command, for the good & safety of the Country, that these miscreants be cutt off root and branch. See that this be putt in execu- tion 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. 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 (signed) R. Duncanson For their Majesties service To Capt. Robert Campbell of Glenlyon

The post The Massacre of Glencoe appeared first on ScotClans | Scottish Clans.

The River Laroch

The journey started in Ballachulish. This small town has become well known for the slate which was quarried here from the late 1600s onwards and used in the expansive building in Edinburgh and Glasgow. The walk begins by crossing the River Laroch.

Looking back to Ballachulish

Soon the path rises up through Gleann an Fhiodh and begins to leave the village behind. The large mass of Beinn a’ Bheithir and the Laroch river keep you company on either side as you make your way through the glen.

Cairn to mark the top of the pass

After several miles of glorious solo trekking over the moor the head of the pass is reached and a small cairn marks the spot. Looking back from the cairn the distinctive Pap of Glencoe can be seen.

Glen Duror Forest

After a few more miles the path Enters Glen Duror and is swallowed up by the large area of forestry land. One last look back along the stunning valley and off into the woods!

Duror Forest

Walking through pine forest paths like this was a bit of an anticlimax after the stunning scenery of the last few hours. With dense pine wood on either side of a wide and quite industrial scale logging track and the distant sound of chainsaws in the woods I no longer felt alone in a wilderness, Those areas have their own beauty though and you do tend to concentrate on small details; a puddle overflowing with tadpoles or some unusual lichen. Finally through a gap in the trees I could see the hills of Ardgour in the distance.

Duror and journeys end!

After what seemed like an age the warren of forest paths ends and I emerge at the top of the village of Duror. Roughly 10 miles later and with my feet complaining a little its time for a rest and a well earned beer!

The post A Walk from Ballachulish to Duror. appeared first on ScotClans | Scottish Clans.

The Signal Rock

A few days ago we were walking around the North end of Glencoe. A forest path eventually takes you to a rocky outcrop called “Tom a’ Ghrianain”. The legend has it that this hill was the site of a beacon which would be lit by the clan in time of emergencies or when they needed to rally the men of the clan. In this way it is very similar to the burning hill of MacKenzie legend. There is a legend that this beacon was last lit to signal the start of the infamous Glencoe Massacre in 1692.

The Gaelic name for this hill “Tom a Ghrianain” is translated into English as “The Hill of the Sun” and this gives us another clue about its significance going way back beyond the times of the MacDonalds who settled these lands. Possibly this was a site of ancient pilgrimage where people would gather to worship the sun.

Bidean nan Bian

Indeed what is interesting about this spot is how the setting sun in spring and summer bathes the side of the huge mountains that surround the glen such as Aonach Eagach and Bidean nan Bian making them look like great angry gods.

The post The Signal Rock of Glencoe appeared first on ScotClans | Scottish Clans.