The Glencoe Massacre

Dan Snow's History Hit

History Hit

History

4.7 • 12.9K Ratings

🗓️ 14 March 2023

⏱️ 44 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Glencoe in the Scottish highlands is a beautiful landscape with a dark past. While folks from all over the world travel to this beautiful valley to hike, in 1692 it was the site of a treacherous massacre that had repercussions for Scotland and England into the next century. Scottish government troops had been sent on orders from King William III of England, to make an example of the MacDonald clan who had missed the deadline to pledge their allegiance to him as the new monarch. Government soldiers were sent to the homes of the Macdonalds where they were billeted - given lodging and food by the locals. The Macdonalds shared their homes, food, stories and songs before the soldiers revealed their true purpose in Glencoe. 12 days after arriving, they received their true orders to annihilate the entire population of the glen. The clan chief Alexander, or McIan as he was also known, was killed along with more than 30 other men women and children. Others fled into the highlands, succumbing to exposure, but most escaped with their lives. Dan is in Glencoe with Lucy Doogan and Derek Alexander of the National Trust for Scotland to tell the tale of this tragedy, the traditions and history of this magnificent landscape and how it shaped Scotland's past and present.

This special episode is made possible by The National Lottery. National Lottery players have supported over 48,000 heritage projects alone since the inception of The National Lottery in 1994. This includes supporting The National Trust for Scotland to help keep green and historic spaces like Glencoe open to the public. The National Trust for Scotland has received £37 million of National Lottery funding which enables them to preserve properties and natural spaces across Scotland that are of great historical and architectural importance.

Produced by Mariana Des Forges, edited by Dougal Patmore.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to the show. This week we have a very special episode made possible by the National Lottery.
0:11.2	You see, you might not know it, but if you're a National Lottery player, you've been responsible
0:15.7	for supporting over 48,000 heritage projects alone since 1994. And why does support so important?
0:23.4	Well, whether it's a national trust for Scotland location or anywhere else in the country,
0:28.5	funding from National Lottery players allows these historical attractions and natural space
0:32.9	to remain accessible to the public. Ensuring that the rich history on display doesn't fade into
0:38.0	obscurity. So just keep in mind when listening to those episodes by playing the National Lottery
0:44.8	you're supporting heritage organisations like the National Trust for Scotland. Helping to keep
0:50.9	historic and green space open to the public. Enjoy the show.
0:58.9	Hey folks, welcome to Dance Know's History. I'm in a car driving north on a grey, wet and windy day,
1:06.8	which is entirely typical because I am travelling across Rannock more on the west coast of Scotland.
1:12.7	I've left Glasgow behind. I've driven the length of Loch Lomond where I saw rainbows through the
1:17.7	mist as the sun would occasionally flash out and give us little views across that beautiful
1:22.9	Loch. I've passed the left hand turn to Campbelltown in Kintai where my mum's family emigrated
1:28.8	from to Canada a hundred years ago, over 130 years ago now. And I'm now on Rannock more the wide
1:34.8	open moon scape, unbelievably beautiful barren, treeless landscape of rock, of heather and of water.
1:43.7	I'm heading towards Glencoe, it's a favourite of Taurus, wonderful hiking, sightseeing,
1:50.9	but it's a place where the very dark past. It's been a backdrop to
1:56.3	clan clashes, one particular terrible slaughter which has an important part to play in Scotland's
2:03.6	long remarkable history. So on this atmospheric day with these low hanging clouds, I'm here to
2:10.0	unravel the story of the Glencoe massacre which took place here in February 1692.
2:20.1	You are hereby ordered to fall upon the rebels, the McDonald's of Glencoe, and put all to the
	...

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