What They Don't Say About the Massacre of Glencoe
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- Опубликовано: 21 сен 2024
- Glencoe... one of the saddest, yet most beautiful places in Scotland. The Massare that took place there is often misunderstood, so Scottish history tour guide, Bruce Fummey, takes you to the National Trust For Scotland Visitor centre to understand the history.
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Map of Glen Coe Massacre
University of Texas at Austin. From The Public Schools Historical Atlas edited by C. Colbeck, 1905
Robert Campbell
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Invergarry Castle
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John Dalrymple
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Scotland History Tours is here for people who want to learn about Scottish history and get ideas for Scottish history tours. I try to make videos which tell you tales from Scotland's past and give you information about key dates in Scottish history and historical places to visit in Scotland. Not all videos are tales from Scotland's history, some of them are about men from Scotland's past or women from Scotland's past. Basically the people who made Scotland. From April 2020 onward I've tried to give ideas for historic days out in Scotland. Essentially these are days out in Scotland for adults who are interested in historical places to visit in Scotland.
As a Scottish history tour guide people ask: Help me plan a Scottish holiday, or help me plan a Scottish vacation if your from the US. So I've tried to give a bit of history, but some places of interest in Scotland as well.
Find out about The Last Jacobite at ruclips.net/video/RTH9orxAteY/видео.html
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The Jacobite Tale they Won't Tell on Outlander at ruclips.net/video/qOaTVhYDhMk/видео.html
Honor and Respect.
You are good counsel.
Congratulations on 100k subs. I hope your hard work is paying off. With admiration and respect from a Kiwi of Scottish heritage on both sides.
Is queen Elizabeth II, related to William of orange ?
@@jamiemcdonald1904 Not a blood relative. He was married to Mary II (of England), James II's (of England - James VII of Scotland) daughter. They had no children. Mary died young at age 32. When William died, her sister, Anne, became Queen and shortly after, the first monarch of Great Britain.
Excellent. Again. A+
It enrages me greatly that, as scots, we have to scrimp and scrape and search endlessly for content like this. Informative and educationally factual stories about our own history. It's shocking and culturally abhorrent that we are not taught our own history in our own schools. Scots should be told these stories as part of our education curriculum, not some watered down modern British history that totally excludes our own backgrounds and vast vast rich history. Good on you for bringing a light these stories in video.
The "winners" write the histories and often control the telling or the silence.
The snp don't want scots to know the truth. The truth isn't black and white.
The snp still act as if braveheart was a documentary.
There was not one but two inquiries into the massacre. Much is owed to the investigative journalist of the day, Charles Leslie, a former Church of Ireland priest who became a leading Jacobite propagandist after the 1688 ‘Glorious Revolution’. He was one of a small number of Irish Protestants to actively support the Stuarts after 1688. This is a key moment in British history, as the massacre occurred a year to the day after the Bill of Rights in the English Parliament, which listed individual rights, including the prohibition of cruel and unusual punishments. The Massacre of Glencoe could be described as the "British Watergate of its day" as the trail led all the way to the King under a constitution not too dissimilar from the framework of the US Constitution in which the King / President is responsible for foreign policy and 'commander-in-chief' of the armed forces. May I suggest you read "Glencoe: The Story of a Massacre" by John Prebble.
Except you don't have to ''Scrimp and Scrape''. Always with the victim complex, People will never give it up and will always be something else ''Putting them down''. Get a grip.
@@terrykeever9422 - That's a popular saying, but completely false. If the winners wrote history then we wouldn't know anything like the video covered. Also, if the implication is that the winners telling of history is false, than any alternative versions of history are suspect. Which essentially means nothing can be trusted.
74 year old and hearing the true horror of this event for the first time.
Someone else in these comments said your presentations get better and better and I agree.While all of your offerings are thoughtful witty and compelling some are outstanding.
This was one of those.
At the risk of seeming to be pissing in your pocket I regard yourself to be the finest in the documentary genre. If only there was more recognition of your efforts.
Wholeheartedly agree with you. Bruce deserves more recognition. History lessons in school would be more colourful if they showed Bruce's stories when they got to the Scottish part. Great comment 👍💕💕
Heartily agree. This one is... deep.
Me2!! Could listen to him all day!
Yes, yes, yes, and more yes. There needs to be someone in the education and entertainment systems in Scotland that can make his history lessons into intro’s for history classes. Many of them could literally set the mood about the lesson before the teacher even speaks a word. And then when the video is over the teacher then continues the lesson with the same upbeat, or somber tone that Bruce had. Man that would be awesome.
Well said mate 👌
Murder under trust was an unforgivable crime in the highlands. The Campbell stayed in Glencoe for over a week before the massacre. They ate the McDonald’s food, slept under their roofs. Then they turned on them and murdered them in the middle of the night. No one is likely to forgive the Campbell, no matter who signed the orders.
I visit Glencoe regularly and pay tribute to those who were robbed of their lives. A sadness hangs over the place, but its beauty is immense. Thanks for the video, it struck the tone perfectly.
I'm an Australian McHenry (Henderson), Does much remain of the family ?. They were also wiped out and had married into the Donald's.
Me and my wife go to glencoe every year for Valentine’s Day we always go and pay our respects I grew up knowing the stories as my mum told me them all the time she was always horrified we are McCormacks. It’s a beautiful place with a sad history
@@shaynemc7533 the name Henderson is still very common in Scotland as are all the Scottish names mentioned, none could be completely wiped out as Scotland is a big place with many hard to reach places in the North.
@@jamesthomson7634 100% it's hard enough tracking close family even today.
I'm going to go on a time warp and see where it all began.
On behalf of my ancestors who perished there, thank you 🙏🏼
Hamilton was the real piece o' work and evil mastermind in the Glen Coe tale.
Everyone holds the Campbell's as responsible, but he was the real mastermind behind the massacre, and the Campbell's but his tools.
Masterful telling of the tale Bruce.
One of our biggest strengths and weaknesses as Scots, is we can hold onto grudges for a very very long time.
"I was only followin' orders"
Still makes you the devil's children.
I think John Dalrymple, 1st Earl of Stair, was just as complicit. Maybe even more so as he was Secretary of State for Scotland and the one who spoke directly with the King on these matters. He absolutely hated the Jacobite clans.
As usual, a thoughtful and insightful look at Scottish history. "Plenty of guilt to go around" sums it up well. Power politics and the fate of the little people.
I would've refused to gallows with a song in my heart
I hear you. The so-called little people - hard scrabble, hard working, innocent, good people - slaughtered. A pattern repeated throughout history. We’re facing these same dilemmas once again in the USA and other places.
My first introduction to the Glencoe Massacre was when i was very young. At Hogmanay at family gatherings. The oldies would sing and one of the songs was The Massacre of Glencoe. To this day i remember every verse, it still is a hauntingly beautiful song altho it is about murder. You brought back a great memory of my Great-Granda, who even though having no teeth could sing that song beautifully. Thank you for the upload.
They came through the blizzard, we offered them heat
A roof ower their heids, dry shoes for their feet
We wined them and dined them, they ate o' oor meat
An slept in the house O' MacDonald
Oh cruel is the snow that sweeps Glencoe
An covers the grave o' Donald
An cruel was the foe that raped Glencoe
An murdered the house o' MacDonald
Thank you from a mcdonald Henderson descendant best from glasgow
Thank you for sharing the song with us. I hadn’t heard it.
I too grew up singing the Massacre of Glencoe, one of the most haunting songs I have ever known.
Aye... it pays to be a winner!
@@pollyparrot8759 I'm pretty sure it was written by Roy Williamson of The Corries. I do know that they sang it many times, and it can still be found on disc and tape. Possibly it is now also on CD!
Bruce, this is your best one yet. Absolutely brilliant and perfectly delivered. What happened at Glencoe was state sanctioned murder, but what followed was state sanctioned propaganda. Which clearly survives to this day. As a half Campbell myself, thank you.
I’m a Japanese-American. My grandfather on my dad’s side was full Scottish and a Campbell (which makes me one 😅) and I’ve always heard the story but this was just fascinating! I absolutely love how this is framed. History is so complex and never black and white. Thank you for keeping history alive.
Yep. You are a Campbell. 😊
I had an uncle who passed out as a lieutenant in the Argylls before transfering to the Black( The Royal Highlanders) Watch where he was promoted to captain. The battilion was moved to India in 1944 but my late uncle,whom I saw regularily in the 1970s, never spoke of action. So I guess he never saw combat in the abhortive Japanese attack on India which was a nightmare campaighn by all accounts for both sides. My late uncle was born in London but married a Yorkshire lass and lived most of his life there.
How did he end up in a Scottish Regiment ? His mother my late grandmother was Scottish,his father a Yorkshire veteran of the great war, spoke hignly of the Scottish Regiments,so he joined one.
It might interest you to know that the Campbell Millitia( Later The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders) were at Culloden in 1746,and not on Charlies side.Argylle men were like the Watch and The Royal Scots from Edinburgh usually on the stde of the crown. The Reality of History is The Bonnie Prince had as many Scotsmen fighting against him as for him.
The Argyll men played a major part in the battle,turning the right flank of the Princes Army and Giving Barrels( The Buffs, The Royal East Kents) a chance to re deploy,from the full force of The Highland charge. The Argylls went on to become one of many famous Scottish Regiments in the British Army,and fought in many of its campaighns as did 'The Watch.'
So your a samarui a cow boy and a highlander
This reminds me of the skittles commercial lol
❤
Excellent explanation of a tragic event. As a Campbell hearing of this event brought sadness, that the clans name was used as a cover for those in power is sad but not surprising. Thank you for bringing Scottish history to life.
As a Macdonald blame u for my ancestors deaths.
@andrewmacdonald3270 just following orders bud. Maybe you should have turned in your oath before the deadline lol
@@mikecampbell1731 Look down at the ground... under your feet. Who will hear your cry when the ground opens to swallow your soul? Taking you into the deep dark abyss? Better now to fall on your knees crying out, "Lord, forgive me please."
What to do when given an illegal order or even an order they know isn’t really correct? A struggle that many soldiers/officers struggle with to this day. Now 23 years into a career I know what I’d do but, ask 18 year me a scared young boy who would be keen to impress, that’s scary.
Brilliant video!!
Aye but that wasn't just sodjers it was Campbells
Well said, it is easier to get the young to carry out the act.
@@pamelaadam9207 did you watch the video? I think the point of it not being just the cambells. Was clearly made
Then the age of recruitment should be 25 at least.
@@pamelaadam9207 Not a very bright remark; did you watch the video? If you did, you've kind of missed the whole point.
I've lived in this earth 52 years, served in UK military seen may horrible things as a medic and my heart cracked and felt shame on the ancestors of the country I love at this video. Thank you sir for making it
You're welcome
Man is the most VICIOUS CREATURE ON THIS PLANET.
The Glencoe massacre was Scot’s killing Scot’s, the English had nothing to do with it.
@@fightforaglobalfirstamendm5617 Listen to Bruce.
I found your channel a while back my great grandfather was Scottish and I'm a cree native American and I've been watching trying to learn more of my grandfather's heritage and your videos are helping me learn thank you in my cree language hiehie means thank you.
I am the other way around.
Scottish with a Great Great Great Native American Grandmother.
Nice to meet you.
Coincidently name is Allan too.
A'ho.
Aye nice to meet you as well
@@allenbadge4232 you might even have Irish relatives too, as Dave Allen RIP, the celebrated Irish comic and Bard was wont to say, may your God go with you...the Cherokee nation sent assistance to my ancestors in County Donegal at the height of the great famine...peace and love from the wirral...E
proud macdonald here- my family’s (and by extent the clan we all descended from) history is long and interesting. this was a great watch
Hello, fellow Macdonald. I have visited Glencoe many times. My husband and I can almost feel the lingering presence of our lost clansmen and women, and "the wee bairns". Horrible and dishonest it certainly was. Thanks as always to our wonderful host. You bring our Scottish history to life.
As a Campbell here in Canada, I've had MacDonalds as well as tourists and immigrants from Scotland shun me because of my last name. I remind them that the vast majority of Campbells did not participate in Glencoe. Furthermore, it happened 300 years ago. Holding a son culpable for the sins of his father is shameful, much less for the horrors his distant ancestors committed. Honestly, although I'm proud to have highland blood, and I have always wanted to see Scotland, concern for how I might be treated due to my name has kept me away.
Thanks for this thought provoking video.
Visit Scotland and enjoy the country. Don't concern yourself too much about any anti-Campbell dislike. Most people accept you as you are. I was in Scotland in 2004 and never experienced any problems.
We dont support the Shunning of the Campbells. Time has passed.
It is down to OUR generations to secure a peace between all Clans, i come from CLAN STUART and BRUCE.
If the McDonalds and Campbells are willing to agree to that accord till the end of time. Peace you will have.
@@HRHKingJamesIXofScotland The Clan feuds were always orchestrated by the English overlords.
It's clear who our historical enemy is and nothing has changed in that regard since 1745.
Scotland deserves self government and independence.
Vote Yes for freedom in the next referendum.
Luv and Peace.
@@ianedmonds9191 I intend to come home. Should the clans be in favour of my return. Charles must not be King of Scotland.
i (my scottish celtic blood) was exiled by the English Lords in conjunction with the betryal of the scottish people, well not me, but my doppleganger, James V.
I agree. The enemy has been the same since 1745. Some of us count up each year of that injustice. Someone has to account for it.
We know it wont be them.
I was in Scotland last week. I’m a 7th generation Campbell. They don’t really mind in Scotland. I never had any issues. You should visit
You are such a passionate narrator. I love this channel and the history you share. My wife and I both have ancestors from Scotland and we love this channel.
A tragedy well narrated, thank you. This descendant of the Campbells of Argyll was privileged to enjoy the friendship of a McDonald and his family for many years. Shared experience and respect for each other is the way to build a society. And heal the scars of history.
I john I saw your comment my ancestors mcdonalds north of glencoe my grandmother a mcdonalds married a Henderson strong allies together big Henderson was the mcdonald piper at glencoe as a child I had a chip on my shoulder with the name Campbell but in later life it was a wider plot rule and divide and an excuse for the oath being late with the bad weather I'm glad you met nice mcdonalds best from glasgow
@@wboyle9721 , with a name like Boyle you’ll be more Irish than Scottish.
Hi boyle is one of the Scottish clans from Ayrshire kelburn Castle there are two branches of the family related some went to Scotland some went to Ireland from boville in Normandy most of argyle came from Ireland good comment 👍
@@wboyle9721 good answer 👍
I and my wife travelled from Australia (2013) and Glencoe history was one big part of my bucket list. (also re-did our 33rd wedding vows in Neilston). Much of the family was lost there, and the family that was not present (lucky) survived and continued to live across the world. I ask my father many years ago, how I got the middle name of Campbell. His answer was short and simple. " So you will never forget the enemy within".
Never forgotten never forgiven, after 331 years.
of course this happened
Ffs. Really???
Bruce, as a member of Clan Campbell of Breadalbane I say thank you from the bottom of my heart. For far to long have people made us scapegoats and blamed us for the whole bloody affair. Now it is as someone else here said, "State Sanctioned Murder". Thank you for bringing this affair to light. I know the blood will never truly be washed from our hands as a clan, but is there any clan in Scotland that can say they are free from the blood of the innocent? I don't think there is. The McDonald's hands are just as stained as ours are.
Macdonald
"I know the blood will never truly be washed from our hands as a clan , but is there any clan in Scotland that can say they are free from the blood of the innocent?"
This is why I have very, very little tolerance for people ho hold grudges based on events that happend hundreds of years ago.
Not only can the current generation not be held responsible for what their ancetors did before they were even born, but those who hold the grudge very conveniently only mention the things done to *them*.
It's petty self-interest, wrapped in a thin veneir of history.
Correct I am a mc Donald and henderson decendant on my mother's side they came from North of glencoe the Campbell and macdonald would fight over cattle it was not a full Campbell clan massacre of macdonalds there were lowlander scots involved with different surnames the massacre came from higher orders and was a ploy for king william to gain his authority the scottish royals and including Charles Edward Stuart and British royals going back before 1746 have caused more deaths because of power struggles and religion you have nothing to be guilty of peace out
What a pile of crap, sweaty socks.
What a crock of shit to suggest Cambell's had no other choice. I'd suggest looking at people who've
As a Campbell I've heard this story a thousand times but yet you make it as interesting as the first. Well done
I am also a Campbell and can relate
We indeed did do it.
As a Campbell I don’t mention my heritage while in Scotland..I stay safely in London & let them hate me for being a half English Londoner instead..
Possibly your best video yet Bruce. Informative and thought provoking.
Thanks
As an American Campbell I've heard the story of the centuries old feud betwixt our two storied clans but I'd never heard the story told in this light. Well done Bruce! Thank you for this enlightening perspective. If there is one thing that a life of work, study and military service has taught me, perspective is everything. Once again you have made an otherwise ordinary Saturday extraordinary. Thanks for the time you put into telling a story about my ancestors, it's quit humbling to be mentioned. Good day from America.
I dunno if its mentioned cus i went straight to the comments first but fun fact, theres a pub in scotland that wont let campbells in to this day :)
@@Numbertwo22 ….the pub at or just past Rowardennan. Loch Lomond
Then there's the Macintosh apple feud
@@beingagainstfascismisagood104 i aint heard of that one before, i know what im googling tomorrow now :)
Away with ye ya turncoat
Not since Neil Oliver have I witnessed such a passionate oration , his ethical self questioning stands alone , absolutely breathtaking , thank you .
You're welcome
My name is McConnell and we're descended from the McDonalds clan of Oban/Glencoe. I believe I could be descended from a survivor of this massacre which is chilling. I was born in Northern Ireland in 1937.
Loved this video and how it highlights that nothing has ever changed. The same things are going on today, and they're in the news being talked about by millions of people who are blind to the parallels. It doesn't take murder/massacre/slaughter to be like this event, it takes tyranny, and fools justifying their immoral actions by the old canard "just following orders".
And yet. Watch it again, and ask yourself what you would do.
@johnlow4064 why on earth do you think I would say I'd do the same thing? that's idiotic.
@@justinheads5751 I'm saying, if you put yourself in the shoes of those soldiers, where the penalty for not following those orders is death, you have to recognise that they're in a very difficult situation.
@@johnlow4064 I'd run. I'm a MacDonald.
The rage builds inside of me every time I hear this story
Learn to let it go, it was a long time ago . The Romans invaded Cheltenham, we got over it.
Aye... Chill out fella!
If you got as rage-filled about everything, you'd get sectioned.
38 murdered in Glencoe...
but how many Campbells were murdered by the MacDonalds in Inveraray?
How many Chinese murdered by Japanese in Nanking? 300,000.
How many Jews murdered by Nazis in concentration camps? 6,000,000.
But I bet you have no 2nd thoughts buying Japanese or German products... and that was less than 80 years ago!
First of all I want to say thank you Bruce for all your work. You have a great gift. You mesmerize me with your stoy telling. Being a MacDonald Clanranald I have heard the storys growing up. I have no hatered towards the Cambells either and I grew up eating Cambell's tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. My uncle Married a Cambell and was ridiculed for it from some family. I have shared this video with my family and im sure my uncle is as much inspired as I am. Thanks again!
At 61 years old you just changed my history, was brought up with the old story that they came in the night and murdered men women and children, did not like the Campbells, now however what you say makes sense, thank you for that, this is what we need more of, the truth.
43 - Was told the same story - but always thought there was more to it than what was told/known at the time. It never made sense to me - but this does make a lot more sense. english kings and their power plays - some things never change.
This Guy has a lovely voice for listening to and keeping you interested
The complex and deep moral questions that today’s outstanding offering present are vital and timeless. Thank you for again proving that the most necessary lessons that history can teach are the most uncomfortable ones.
Hence the current attempts to whitewash, or even ban, the teaching of history.
God forbid anyone should be made 'uncomfortable'... else they might object when they are persuaded to repeat past atrocities.
@@Lucius1958 exactly. Indeed it does and will continue while they own the media and many minds.
I have reported this video because of it's hateful content.
@@cuckingfunt9353 You can’t be serious. I suppose you’d make the same judgment of the statement “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.”
This is the video I was hoping you'd be making. Excellent!
I am a lowland Scot, born in Paisely over 60 years ago, but now living in the US. I have visited Glencoe many times. Climbed Buchaille Etive Mor with my father and brother in my youth, and took Dad for a drive through Glencoe one Christmas the year before he passed. I have also been to Inveraray many times, loved the town and the setting, but steadfastly refused to go in the castle, until.... Until I took my American future wife there and she was astonished that I would 'show' her the castle, but not take her inside. I swallowed hard and gave the Campbell's my money.
For those who might want to do a little reading on the subject of this video, consider the historical novels by John Prebble. He also covered Culloden and The Highland Clearances. I have read some criticism of Prebble's work, but I found his books hugely informative and would be interested to hear Bruce's opinion of Prebble's books on the Highlands. It's been forty years since I read them. I need to dig them out again.
John Prebble is an impressive author. You should try Nigel Tranter.
@@jsemplefelton5348 Either author makes Scottish history accessible to those who weren't brought up with it. Very good reads, generally, even if you really know your Scottish history!
I have heard the Glencoe story a hundred times and always the same.
Your research shines a fresh light on the story which I welcome.
Fantastic and interesting.
This is why our American Bill of Rights states that the gov may not billet troops in citizens' homes. Our founders knew all these European & Great British nations did these sorts of deeds. A MacQuarrie here. Thanx love your stories.
Ive always been sceptical about the history of the massacre. Too many vested interests. Too many people happy to place the blame on quarreling Scots. It is refreshing to get an honest and well-researched piece on the dilemas faced by those that carried out the atrocity and of their victims. The passion and lucidity of your arguments are remarkable, as are your knowledge of the characters involved. Great work. Keep the passion.
Bruce, your style really creates a huge amount of emotion in your videos.
“I was just following orders..”, “If I didn’t do it, I’d be killed…”,
“He made me do it..”
All used throughout World history when massacres have happened. Nazis desperately used this phrase, perhaps also Serbian and Croatian soldiers, or Hutu guerrillas.
People used as pawns by others with bigger gangs.
In regards to African nations.. It's important to remember who gave them the weapons and why billions of quite common diamonds are REALLY worth the tens of millions of deaths associated with them. Edit.. more people have died over these so called precious stones than all the wars combined since ww1. In fact.. more bullets have been fired since ww2 than all other wars combined. Who is financing these is ongoing atrocities?
kind of why modern militaries usually have some clause stating that unlawful orders should not be followed.
The defence of only following orders was only removed during WWII specifically in order to be able to prosecute nazi germans
@@kenbrown2808 I am sure that looks super nice on paper.
@@paavobergmann4920 there are still plenty of people who will just follow orders, but it does give an out for people to refuse orders and be vindicated if they are found to be unlawful. wouldn't help if the commander is shooting people, of course, but it gives the opportunity to sit in the brig a bit rather than do something you think is wrong.
Superb telling of an historic atrocity. Measured, well paced and utterly gripping. Just fabulous. Thank you so much from a sassenach who now has a tiny bit more understanding of what drives the Scots.
Hell's teeth, Bruce; the presentation on these videos keeps on getting better and better. It is helped, no doubt, by the scenery.
I'm surprised that the mission was kept so secret throughout the lead up to its execution.
Thanks for adding so much detail and nuance to this familiar tale.
I hope that you didn't get too cold on our behalf. Watching this, I was put in mind of Burns' poem "My luve has a red red nose."
Red nose because shes cold 💚😉
I love the way that you re-frame these historical situations to put the viewer in the shoes of those who were there. As well, it makes viewers really think about the present and our place in it. Your storytelling is more than entertainment, it's evolutionary. Thanks Mr Fummey!
You're too kind
@@ScotlandHistoryTours It's true though, you are really epic ( and I've studied Scottish History). I love my homeland, and you bring it all to life. Thank you. Cheers to you, from "The Kingdom".
Love Glencoe I have a nice cabin up there I visit in the summer. Didn’t know all this extra information thanks. 🙏
Love your videos from Scotland 🏴
As a member of the MacDonald clan, this was eye opening. My dad likes to talk about that day and how everyone should hate the Campbells, he needs to watch this and learn a little something. Thank you Bruce. Please don't stop making these videos, I've learned so much about where my family is from. And honestly it makes me want to go back to Scotland more and more every time you post.
If you do decide to return to Scotland, may I suggest you come in the summer? Or July as we call it.
@@Lysdexia we call it the same here in New York haha. And my first adventure was in March, I'll happily choose a warmer month. Especially because Ben Nevis beat me up and I demand a rematch
@@Lysdexia or may before midgey season😊.
It is far more complicated than 'hate Campbells'.. the reason why is because if you have Macdonald ancestry, or Macgregor or any number of clan ancestors, you will almost certainly also have Campbell ancestry. The clans intermarried as power play and political alliances ebbed and flowed. For example. Duncan MacGregor of Glenstrae is a direct ancestor of mine, he was executed along with his eldest son and brother at Finlarig Castle near Killin by Campbell of Finlairig... who was also a direct descendant of mine.
Glencoe.. I am a direct descendent of MacIain, my 12th great grandfather, but I am also a direct Descendent of Robert Campbell of Glenlyon a 10th Great Uncle...
History is very very complicated and if you are a Highlander or have Highland ancestry then you are almost certainly going to have ancestors from all over the Highlands and from many different Clans but almost certainly Macdonald and Campbell as they were the largest and most powerful Clans.
Forgive us, hatred created this situation and only love can heal it. 🙏
Another fantastic video Bruce! Sad to think of all the bloodshed and infighting this small island has had over the years and how many lives have been lost over the ambition and vanity of kings and queens. Your channel would make an excellent running series for television :)
Great video! My ancestors are of Clan MacIntyre, a smaller clan who had ties to both sides, in very nearby Glen Noe. The MacIntyres who served the MacDonalds were pipers by trade, I believe. Anyway, Lady MacDonald was one of the survivors of the massacre and made it over the hills to MacIntyre lands who gave her and other survivors of the massacre shelter and hospitality. Tis possible she got there because a few Campbells looked the other way. According to clan legend, she got frostbite on the journey that was healed by the greatest treasure of Clan MacIntyre, the Healing Stone.
My mother's family is also MacIntyre, and my parents, brother, and I are planning a trip to Glen Noe area later this spring. I appreciate learning the history of this area, even the terrible parts. And hello to a possible distant relative. :)
@@HeatherKirksey-ls6gk My mom's family is McIntyre too (the different spelling is inconsequential) My 3xGreat grandfather, Archibald McIntyre, moved to Canada in the late 1700s. He was married to a Campbell. I wonder if the clan left Scotland around the time of the Highland Clearances, which did happen around that time. So many questions I have of the MacIntyre family tree, but so few answers to be found.
My Pops used to say - you can marry a sassanach - but never never a Campbell. This was because the sold out the clans at Culloden.
@@elizabethsullivan7176 My family actually spells it McIntyre too but it's good to check both for genealogical purposes. I think my family left around the time of the clearances too. Though some were in America before that and some came by way of Northern Ireland as well.
@@FairladyZ2005 Some spell it Mac some Mc .
Ha, mine still accompany the name Campbell with a spit on the floor. And not just mine. This has resonated down the years. Cheers for your work.
As a Campbell, thank you. It was a feud that went on for hundreds of years, with atrocities committed on both sides.
In 1644, Alasdair MacColla slaughtered over 900 Campbells during the "Ravaging of Argyll", but no one remembers that, except us. "The Barn of the Bones" is worth a look up as well.
I just stumbled onto your channel.. Excellent content !! You've gained a subscriber, albeit a Campbell one 🤣
Cheers
Yes! I’m also a Campbell and am so grateful that someone is willing to clarify that it wasn’t just the Campbells… & also that there were only a few involved, but our entire Clan’s name was branded by it! I’m not trying to excuse the actions of our clansmen BUT this had been going on for centuries and the attacks between clans had been going back and forth so it sucks that it was mostly pinned on us… (also, not to mention that in Culloden - at one of the Most important battles, not all of the Campbells were on the government side! That’s sadly been forgotten about too!)
Now Andrew, why did the devastator ravage Argyll? We can all pull up atrocities eg Raithlin Island, Dunaverty, Dunoon........
Now David.... Because he was pissed at the midges? Apparently you didn't read my whole comment?
As I said, it was an ongoing feud that went on for hundreds of years with atrocities committed on both sides. Alasdair Mhic Colla ravaged Argyll because Montrose fueled the dispute between the Campbells and MacDonalds. It was tit for tat from the 1400s onward
@@Tamatchi_ spot on Emma, love my Irish and Scottish heritage, even prouder to be an adopted son of Birkhenhead, happy to sing songs on the 17th of March and the 12th of July...when I was a kid in Limavady ,County Derry, my street was even called ,Protestant Street...peace and love from the wirral..
Another much-needed balanced account of an over-simplified event. Thank you.
Quite agree.
Glencoe valley is one of my favourite places in scotland i definitely will visit glencoe valley . When i tell about the massacre that took place there in 1692 to my friends(here in india) they all laugh and say that only around 40 men it were killed , can't be called a massacre . When you're video came i showed to my friends and they finally understood and felt pity .
Thank you sharing this video :)
Only 40……
I can understand your friends not getting the reference initially because of the many massacres that occurred in India with far greater bloodshed. But yes, Glencoe is a particularly perfidious and sad example of betrayed hospitality.
The place is definitely worth a visit. The glen itself ("glen" means a steep-sided valley in Gaelic and Scots, so no need to add the word "valley" after Glencoe) is starkly beautiful in all weathers.
"Glencoe valley" is a tautology.
I totally get that as Glencoe by comparison to say the Massacre at Amritsar by General Dyer and his men is on a different scale.
Brilliant story telling and analysis ... unlike most videos on RUclips it's not jingoistic, partisan, finger pointing but reflective, thoughtful and invites us to make our own conclusions. SO refreshing and of course fascinating.
I grew up hearing the Massacre of Glencoe and used to find it haunting and baffling. Thank you so much for giving this story colour and teaching me the nuances of the reality.
Much the same, yet it was the first time I discovered there are always good people. There were plenty of women and children who escaped that valley because some men were disgusted with their orders and looked the other way. Any time something terrible happens there's always at least one tiny moment of humanity that exists somewhere.
The back story to this legendary tale is rich,,compelling. A true historian, you bring out the.inconvenient truths that expose the complexity of the event and the moral choices involved. Faced with such choices today, what would we do? It’s a great teachable moment and you do it like a born teacher. Thorough, well-paced, a story-teller. (Egan K. Teaching as Story Telling.)
When i was 18, i walked the West Highland way. Nothing in scotland impressed me more then the eerie beauty of glencoe and the plain of ranoch Moor.
Wow Bruce, this is masterful storytelling, an incredible presentation of this tragic crime...the nuances, the detail you provide and the shades of grey therein...moves us on from the reduced version of these events
As a Scot i am ashamed and angry that i knew very little about this huge chapter of our history, ashamed at my own ignorance and angry that the schooling system in Scotland, at least when i was a kid, didn't seem to believe Scots kids should learn about our history
The sassennach forbade the gaidhlig as well.
@@MT-kc6rq But most of us Sassenachs love you Scots & your beautiful highlands, never mind what the idiots who think they are Upper-crust think of you all. Many of us have a Scot or 2 or 3 lurking in our family tree, and pretty proud of them too. The Scots are a fierce & proud people, my great grandfather was a Blair, my uncle was a Gallagher, so we are all connected these days. I'm glad that the ancient languages are being appreciated now too - before all is lost !
I agree, I have learned more about Scotland since moving to the US. History was about England when I was in school in Edinburgh.
My late mum taught me of this and many more Scottish historical events as I grew up. Schools in Scotland we're not good at relaying Scottish history for reasons or other. A very good reference to some like myself who like to explore what school wouldn't teach us.
Keep up the good work.
Don't be ashamed. Use it as motivation to read and find out more.
Having our eyes opened should never be a source of shame or embarrassment but a strength.
"Those who fail to learn from history are condemned to repeat it.” It is horrific to know what humans will do to each other.
Perfect!! I remember going to Glencoe, as a child and my dad told us the story of the massacre. He painted the picture as vividly as you have just done, although his historical knowledge was not as accurate.
I remember one of my brothers - history obsessed since childhood - saying "It wasn't just the Campbells, though" and that notion being largely dismissed by my dad.
I've been to Glencoe a few times since and it is beautiful, but there is something about the place which always makes me feel uneasy. In most places of historical interest, I have to think about the past and conjure images from my imagination. In Glencoe, the images come, even when you try to block them out.
Beautifully written. It seems to be a sad fact that many places with tragic, violent histories are stunningly beautiful. In places like Glencoe, Culloden, Killiecrankie, it almost seems wrong to notice the sheer beauty of the place. It's nearly always man that has defiled these locations though, committing attrocities there.
Glencoe has claimed many lifes itself though, without man's help, which perhaps explains 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆 of the feelings that emanate from those mountains. I'm no poet and would consider myself fairly well grounded in reality but I've heard voices in the moaning gales, even beside the busy, main road and, to this day, I get a feeling of immense foreboding if I walk/drive through Glencoe.
The terrible weather, that can afflict the glen, only makes it worse and, of course, these hideou crimes were commited in mid-winter.
@@2H80vids Yep, I totally get you.
I've only been to Glencoe in the summer months - May to September - and each time the weather has been lovely and yet it still evokes feelings of dread.
I'm not even that sensitive, to be honest. Although, I went to Amsterdam three times before, on the fourth attempt, I managed to visit Anne Frank's house without dissolving into a mess, outside.
Ordinarily, I'm pretty phlegmatic; it's just that some places resonate with me and Glencoe is one of those places.
@@graceygrumble very evocative, my cousins in Lochaber are descendants of the surviving McDonald's, here on the Wirral the site of the great battle of Brunanburh/Bromborough 937AD is largely intact, local author Tom Sleman has written extensively about hauntings around the site,you can read his weekly tales of the occult in the Wirral Globe website, peace and love from the wirral peninsula ,bounded by the mersey and the Dee and the Irish sea ,geography and rhyme...E
Thank you so much Bruce for explaining the truly horrific event in our history that happened at Glen Coe. 🙏Hands up,in my ignorance, I believed that it was just a bloody battle that was fought between Clan Mcdonald and Clan Campbell. Thanks to you Bruce I understand now. Its truly thought provoking, what would of done?. Horrendous. Its coming up , think it's tomorrow, to the 330 anniversary of the massacre.You making this video is a respectful way to mark this moment in history. I'm not a Religious person but I shall light a candle to ALL the men, women and children that lost their lives that day, regardless of surname. Thank you once again.
That is very noble of you Helen...as a fellow Irishman ( Dave Allen) was wont to say,..may your God go with you, peace and love from the wirral..my Uncle Archie RIP was a descendant of the McDonalds of Glencoe...
@@eamonnclabby7067Were they related to the MacDonalds of Glencoe?
Very good, and very thought provoking. The over simplification of history allows those in power to scapegoat and avoid blame.
Myself and my grandchildren vist glencoe every year , the glencoe visitor centre is amazing, the first time we visited glencoe i burst into tears its beautiful, i buried my dads lighter on the hills of glencoe after he passed away....thanks for sharing, brilliant channel...are you sitting in the turff House at the glencoe visitor centre...,I remember being told about the glencoe massacre as a child I was traumatized...
Brilliant video. And so many of your remarks on motivations are applicable not just to this horrific episode, but to so much of history and are just as relevant today.
Don't comment that often on this platform but as a proud scotsman I really enjoy watching and learning about our history. You do a cracking job of telling and capturing us with your stories. Just wanted to say thank you and keep up the good work.
I'd thought I knew what happened at the Glencoe massacre but your personalisation of it makes it so much more real and horrific, it rivalled anything that's happened before or since in the British isles for sheer terror and barbarity.
Thank you for the lesson. Glencoe, one of my favourite places in Scotland. Everytime I have been though it has either been raining or snowing - a very atmospheric place indeed.
You've been lucky with the weather then. If the sun comes out so do the midges.
wow this has open my eyes for sure well done bruce keep it up your the best
I am a Descendant of Clan Campbell and Clan Macbean! My great grandmother, on my mother's side, she told me, and I can't back up the validity of her story unfortunately; other than my family lineage, that the Macbeans were at the Massacre of Glencoe and that some of the clan fled to America and Americanized their name to Bean, a shame honestly because Macbean sounds better. Anyway she was a Bean before she married my great grandfather whose last name was Campbell and they can trace their lineage to Clan Campbell. Again I can't speak to the accuracy of her story and I don't know if anyone will see this but if anyone knows more or if this story is inaccurate then please let me know!
Great Video! Keep up the good work!
Love all the effort you put in to bringing us the complexity of Scottish history! Such contradictions are evidence of humans existing. 🌈💜🏳️⚧️🥚🙏🏽
I served 32 years in the RAF, our modern military law is quite clear, we are totally within our right to refuse an 'illegal order' and one of the prime examples of such is an order is to kill a non-combatant / civilian offering no threat. I would have said no, and probably died, not just because I'm a McDowall, but because it would've been morally right.
Yes. We can all be brave on RUclips. The truth is you have no idea how you would act if your life was on the line. And yes I realised in the RAF you run the risk of losing your life but that's quite different from the certainly of death. Most of us would cling on to life. You might be the exception but I strongly doubt it.
@@mikelheron20 He was in the RAF, the biggest risk was too much coffee and bad room service!
@@jamesdrake2058 ouch! a bit harsh. i'm sure i read somewhwere about
the RAF saving these islands from invasion. maybe they had coffee
between sorties.
The phrase "We were only following orders." comes to mind :-(
You've just given more insight, details and history about the massacre than the many books I've read., You've taken us to another level that's both thought provoking, educational, and disturbing. Thank you.
I am a third generation Aussie ,son of Murdoch (strong name,tough man) I was named by the 2 Scottish midwives who were posted to remote outpost of Tarcoola South Australia in March of 1968 with red hair to seal the deal of my ancestory,but what ever happened thousands of miles & generations back in time is not something I can alter or hold ill feelings for,so to the upset & unforgiving I say life is for the living get some joy,& light in your daily activities smile,laugh & love all the souls around you,I Reckon you have the power.get the good ripples flowing.
This video is spectacular, stunning camera work and as always brilliantly presented!
As a descendant of a line of Campbells, Glencoe is a damned dark legacy. I'm glad for the acknowledgement that it wasn't only the Campbells!
I'm glad to learn of that as well. It's good to learn that the truth of what happened was far more complicated than the long established myth. I learned today that there's no need for anyone to regard a Campbell with distaste, or for a Campbell to feel guilty. Finally, we can all enjoy Campbell's soup in peace and a clear conscience.
I would of rather of died than take that order and turned against my fellow countrymen
Oh my word... the best and most complete description of the Glencoe Massacre I've ever heard..... we all know it was not quite so simple and many were used as pawns by others in power.
To learn of so many other names involved willing and not so willing opens more can's filled with worms of history... but for a simple ordinary man who's clan is Donachie who would my clan had sympathies with?..... for me I can't find out as both Mac Donalds and Campbells had both taken land from my clan, and both had similar agents with allegiances. However in 21st century if you host someone under you roof you do not do them any harm.
Is Donachie the same as Donnachaidh which means Duncanson in Gaelic?
@@ianduncanson2840 I believe so
A'reyt Bruce. Cracking video again. The location and filming as good as the narrative and presentation. Better than TV. If there is better on RUclips then I would be surprised. The tale is well covered, so you had a bar to pass, but you cleared it like a pole vault over a high jump. Bit cold though, like when I visited there. You looked like you could do with that soup.
Only at the time of reading your comment did I realise that this video wasn't taken from the telly. I don't think I blinked watching that!
This is a very well put together video. I'm shocked to hear for the very first time, that a cowardly person, with my surname, did what he did, in the treacherous and shameful massacre of the decent people who once lived peacefully in Glencoe. I'm really shocked!
The world was and is full of cowardly persons with all kinds of family names ......
@@nozecone Well Said 👍
Thanks for the fascinating information. My father told me years ago that a Rankin or Rankins were killed at Glencoe, but I didn’t know there were several clans represented on both sides. I have read a couple of books on Scottish history, but find it hard to retain information, so your videos are great as you explain things really clearly and in an interesting way.
The cinematography in this video is fantastic. You've really upped your game, mate!
Thanks to Matt Ward
I am a Slovak, who until the holidays in Scotland last year, had no idea of any of this (well I had heard that the Red Wedding episode in the GoT was inspired by the Glencoe massacre). What amases me though is how universaly, humanly approachable your lesson of history is. It really makes you think about things.
To turn men against men, sadly a reacuring theme throughout history, I was aware of this devastating true story but love your food for thought, great stuff
Such a sad tale, as always told with sensitivity, insight and exquisite images. The notion to me that it was far less a Campbell vs McDonald tale than I had previously heard is fascinating. As to what I would have done, I know what I would have liked, but fear what I would have.
Great video. I like the way you pointed out it was not as straight forward as Campbells Vs MacDonalds. History is always more complicated than we think. A lot of Irish history is presented as Catholic Vs Protestant but at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690 the Pope was supporting King William of Orange and the armies were mixed.
Now THAT, I didn't know. The Pope and King Billy
@@ScotlandHistoryTours so true our history is a very nuanced thing...I have distant relatives who switched religion like they were switching power suppliers....always about the land and money...E
@@ScotlandHistoryTours In fact on receiving news of the Orange victory at the Boyne, the Te Deum was sung in Rome. The Pope and King Billy were both fiercely anti-Bourbon and would quite happily have used Louis XIV of France's entrails for Christmas decorations.
James VII & II was allied to Louis XIV and was therefore on the receiving end of the wrath of the League of Augsburg (1686), and when push came to shove, William of Orange didn't attach huge importance to the British Isles, except as a strategic asset in his hostilities against the French. In Ireland and the Scottish Highlands his priority was to secure the rear entrance of his domains.
True William had catholic troops from the continent
@@ScotlandHistoryTours it was King Billy that signed off on it. He set the whole thing up. It tells you in the song, “they came from fort William with murder in mind, the Campbell had orders king William had signed” 🥺
Thank you, its taken many years but the truth is oh so diffrent from the propaganda that was drumed into us at school. Nodought this is the same for many many stories that was bulled up in Scottish history . Please continue telling the real history of Scotland
This was part of the history curriculum at my high school.
Scottish history was a massive part of the curriculum at my high school.
In my history exams before I left school, there was a lot of questions about this and the highland clearings.
I'm American, a branch of the MacDonald line. As well as other Scot's lines.
I've heard the simplified version of this tale many times over. This is the first detailed account of the Massacre I've seen.
Thanks for this.
Nothing is ever as simple as it seems. That those in high places pit people against each other is easy to see if one only opens their eyes. They do it even now. Especially here in the USA!!! Our society has grown terribly sick. It grows worse with each passing decade.
While I never held grudges against people today for sins of their forbearers, nor do I forgive those with blood on their hands. That includes those who gave the order.
In short, May king William and all his henchmen burn in hell for eternity for this massacre.
Bless those who conveniently turned their head, and looked away, so some could live.
Let ALL people know the TRUTH of these events, so they are NEVER repeated.
Nor should anyone favor one man/woman over Humanity as a whole. Not even a King; they are only human. (That goes for any modern politician too!)
Thanks for shining a light on this dark event; for revealing the true Villains of the tale.
Very Well Done!
I wish I could give you more than one 👍.
Peace to all.
From an American Scot to all my countrymen, scattered around the world. Yet in our hearts, Scotland is home.
From another American with Scot ancestry, well said.
How many times have you been to Scotland?
@@i_know_youre_right_but
Sadly, none. My travels in my younger years took me many places, but not there.
Now in my senior years, injuries keep me home-bound. I would love to tour it for several weeks, but I have accepted it cannot happen now.
Well said
This video like many of your other videos has put me in a place of deep reflection this morning. Thank you for fleshing out the sordid details of this well known historical event. I appreciate the work you put into these videos. Thank you .
The editing and production for this video is such a welcome leap forward. Bruce, this is what your channel needs to elevate it another step further. +1
Although there were true clan on clan massacres in the highlands, this one was a government job primarily. The clan stuff secondary at best. Good job with the characterization. Good job laying out the moral and ethical aspects as well.
For the first time, last week I was fortunate enough to visit Glencoe. After many, many visits north of the border in my life, I finally visited Glencoe and it didn't disappoint. Its the most beautiful place I've ever seen, I'll be spending more time there when I next visit.
Well done and well told, I'm a MacDonald. The story has many twists and turns as you describe, it was cut throat and the fear that then spread afterwards must have been indescribable and truly gut retching!
Fans of Game of Thrones might be interested to know this was one of the moments that inspired the infamous Red Wedding.
The writers stated that "the black dinner" was the inspiration for "the red wedding", as the name clearly suggests.
@@EverHappyDude I was going to say 😅 I'm pretty sure GRRM said Red Wedding inspiration was the Black Dinner. But - either way he's had plenty of influence from all kinds of places :)
A thought provoking presentation. Nothing is ever quite as simple as it seems. However, how many atrocities have been committed throughout history by people who were just "following orders".
You are such a powerful storyteller. I literally felt like I was there feeling the horror of the situation from both sides.
What a fantastic presentation, Thank you.
Bruce, your videos are getting better and better. I love the way you can recount even the bitterest episodes in your country's history without any rancour or bitterness, but instead with an understanding of the way ordinary people get trapped in the plots of the powerful. I think you'd make a great Culture Minister for Scotland. If I was Scottish I'd be a blazing Jacobite Republican (now there's contradiction for you!) and I know I would cause only harm ......
Congratulations on reaching 100k subscribers Bruce, when I started watching a round April time last year there were only around 16k, great to see the effort you go to to produce these videos being recognised and the stories you share reaching a wider audience.
Sound, video and production are getting better every video Bruce! It makes an already interesting story riveting. About the story itself, very sad how often those who give orders such as that are asleep in their beds while the orders are carried out. Very sad.
Thanks to Matt Ward for filming this video
What a brilliant video. Wonderful research and presentation.
Watching this one from my Fort William Air BnB room, as I'm about to go visit Glencoe for the first time ever.
Your storytelling skills always amaze me, Bruce. Thank you!
Another great video Bruce. Two things that strike me about your presentation style, are: the way that you can make me empathise with people from a long time ago, and the way your humanity shines through these videos. Sorry if I've embarassed you.
Excellent presentation and narrative putting forward the question many have faced in time and even today what would you have done? It appears that Bruce is an excellent presenter bringing stories alive and making history very relevant in today’s world
Thanks Peter