Glencoe is a narrow valley in the western Highlands carved by glaciers from volcanic ro…

Glencoe is a narrow valley in the western Highlands carved by glaciers from volcanic rock, flanked by the Three Sisters and Buachaille Etive Mòr. It’s one of the most dramatic landscapes in Britain, and one of the darkest. On 13 February 1692, government soldiers who’d been billeted with the MacDonald clan for twelve days — eating their food, sharing their fires — rose at 5am and started killing their hosts. The chief MacIain was shot in the back getting dressed. His wife was stripped and left to die in the snow. Around 38 were murdered outright, others froze fleeing into the mountains. It wasn’t a clan feud — it was a government order, signed by King William, to punish the MacDonalds for being late swearing allegiance. The Scottish parliament later ruled it “murder under trust,” one of the worst crimes in Highland culture. Nobody was ever punished. The survivors rebuilt, fought in both Jacobite risings, and were eventually cleared from the glen altogether in the 18th century. Archaeologists recently found a pot of 36 coins hidden under a hearthstone, likely buried the night the killing started.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​