BattlefieldsMassacre of Glencoe 1692
Jacobite Risings

Massacre of Glencoe 1692

1692
Argyllshire, Scotland
Also known as: Glencoe Massacre · MacDonald of Glencoe massacre
Era
Jacobite Risings
Battle Type
Skirmish
Location
Argyllshire, Scotland
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
MacDonalds of Glencoe
Forces
sleeping MacDonald clan
VS
Victor
Government (Campbell of Glenlyon)
Forces
120 government soldiers
Outcome
38 MacDonalds killed in their beds; government credibility damaged; William II condemned
The Battle

History & Significance

The most notorious atrocity of Scottish history. Government soldiers, mostly Campbells under Captain Robert Campbell of Glenlyon, accepted two weeks of MacDonald hospitality then rose at dawn and killed their hosts. The MacIain MacDonalds had been slow in taking the oath of allegiance to William II. The killing of men under trust of hospitality violated every Highland code. Parliamentary inquiry condemned the massacre but no one was tried. The event poisons Campbell-MacDonald relations to this day.

Casualties & Losses

38 MacDonalds killed; women and children died of exposure fleeing in snow

Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

Aubrey Research

Explore the landscape around Argyllshire

Aubrey generates in-depth historical research for any location in Britain — drawing on Domesday records, scheduled monuments, Victorian OS maps, geological data and archaeological archives to tell the full story of a place.

Research a location near Argyllshire