I was married to a MacDonald who was a direct descendant of a family which was warned by one of the English lieutenants who had taken of their hospitality. The story and his cryptic words of warning had been passed down through the generations. After he died, I made a pilgrimage up to Glencoe and scattered my husband's ashes on the burial island of Eilean Mundi in Loch Leven.
I had 2 drs., one named Dalrymple and another McPhail. I also have a friend named Jim Campbell and knew a McCallum whose father was from Sterlingshire. My family's mostly Irish, but I've got English, German, and Scottish roots too and live in the USA, in Ga. I first heard about the song and the Corries in my British Folklore class in college. Such a sad song, but the two singers were fantastic!
I had an old school friend ( since passed ) who used to go camping up to Glencoe every year and set up his tent on the moor. He told me there`s an atmosphere there you can slice up and sell on a street corner. You can feel it too, just by being there whether, on foot, in a car or, on a coach. A haunting feeling that when on your own, you have a distinct feeling you`re being watched. There is also an atmosphere at Cullodin, up on the moor where the battle took place.
I remember visiting Scotland last summer. We were on a sightseeing tour of the highlands. While driving through the breathtaking landscape of Glencoe, our tour guide told us the story of the Glencoe massacre and played this song. Probably the greatest travelling moment of my life... Thank you Scotland and greetings from Finland
The most heinous crime you could commit in the Scottish Highlands was: ‘murder under trust’, this is what caused the outrage at the time. I was born in Glencoe and one day I will be buried there.
James Wilkins 'murder under trust'..well ...would never trust a sheep ..horse.. cattle thieving McDonald....trust..you must be joking what a laugh...they were 'all as bad' but hey... 'blinkers' are an amazing thing especially for the romantically created highlands...
+onemexican1 I think you will find that people in Scotland, have a great deal of sympathy for the Macdonalds of the Western Seaboard and the Glens of Antrim, wether in Antrim, Islay, Kintyre, Uist, Benbecula, Skye, Moidart, Knoydart, Morar, Arisaig, Ardnamurchan, Glengarry, Glencoe, Glenaladale or Keppoch in the Braes of Lochaber, where ever they came from, people today, very thankfully, are aware of the History of the Highlands and of the great custodians of gaelic culture the Macdonals. So, yes people are very proud to be associated with the Macdonalds, and also the name Campbell, in the Scottish syche, it is a disgraced name, forever associated with treachery, and wether that is a shortbread tin notion or not is irrelevant, that is just the way it is in Scotland and the Highlands, the name Campbell is synonamous with Treachery and Untrustworthiness.... Up the Macdonalds of Dunivaig and the Glens
Wrong. The clearances were caused by the hereditary chiefs realising they could make more money out of sheep than they got from their clansmen. Nothing English about it. Apparently, at the time, the highlanders evicted from their homes ,bamed the chiefs new "four footed clansmen "
Ray Lumley think you'll find the english were involved. granted, some Scots were paid by the english to turn judas. however, was still english soldiers of the time that raped, pillaged and murdered Scottish clans who opposed the english crown. they spared no one in the Highlands, man woman or child. pisses me off when i hear the brits talking about ethnic cleansing when they are guilty of the same crime.
I sat on a hill in Glencoe and listened to the Corries sing this song of betrayal. A deed which still haunts the mountains and glens. Sung by the Corries it is truly moving.
A black day for king william it all came from a late oath in bad weather my mcdonalds are from near glencoe it was a horrific crime rule and divide tactics again us scots must learn from the past
Such an emotional song 😢. We visited Scotland not long ago via Rabbies tour to the Highlands and we went past the village while listening to this song. Scotland is such a beautiful place to see it exceeded our expectations! Its a must if you haven't visited yet.
Scotland will certainly exceed your expectations as long as you are not expecting sunshine and/or warm temperatures, we get those about 2 days each year
My mother was a McDonald, my husband and I visited Scotland and went to Glencoe from Australia last year, I have to say there is a very eerie feeling in the atmosphere
+Ann Murrell Been there several times Ann and felt the chilling presence in the glen you experienced, so have a few others I have spoken to over the years.
+Ann Murrell ..the first time I was in Glencoe, I had fallen asleep in the car it was a snowy December day, I woke up, and within seconds, I felt that we were in a strange land ....the strangeness was over and above a bleak winters day, it was over and above the loneliness of the narrow winding road that had only us and our little tiny Mini ...a fence, perhaps there was a tumbling down stone shelter for a shepard, and a burn winking through now and again ....perhaps it was just waking suddenly to an unfamiliar road ....( I am from California) but I think it was my Celtic blood responding to the place itself ...... the second time I was in Glencoe, I was awake when we arrived, early spring day ...and still the eerie silence of the land, the utter emptyness of the landscape....the lack of most signs of human occupancy, and the lack of other humans, ( both times there, we were the only car on the road ....the length of the glen .....) ..... it was a while ago now, back in the early/mid 80s,.....but as you can tell, the place made a deep impression on me, one that I remember vividly to this day .....
I visited Glencoe on a bus tour --(we had a McDonald AND a Campbell on the bus as well) I'm Aussie with Scottish ancestory - and eventhough I knew a little bit about the killings from the stories my Nanna told me, I was't prepared at all for how I felt when I got off the bus. I lasted about 3 minutes and had to get back on, hair on the back of my neck & arms standing up & feeling sick to my stomch. I swear I could hear the cry's & screams of the murderd. Probably one of the most heartbreaking places I've ever been , apart from Culloden
I live in the US and my great grandmother said we were from the Isle of Skye. I just built my family tree up in her line and it led to Alistair MacDonald, a victim of Glencoe. I always wondered why our family left Scotland. So sad. Amazing our tree goes back so far.
hello, there was many a bloody episode in my Country's history. The thing that distinguishes this bloody episode from the others is the betrayal of the hospitality. A shame upon them all and a curse to the many who prefer Brutania to Scotland. Our day will come. Saor Alba
History is there for us to remember how not to repeat the mistakes made yesterday. This song will always remind us how not to think, be or act. Haunting, Historical and Beautiful.
Ballad of Glencoe Chorus Oh, cruel was the snow that sweeps Glencoe And covers the grave o' Donald. Oh, cruel was the foe that raped Glencoe And murdered the house of MacDonald They came in a blizzard, we offered them heat, A roof for their heads, dry shoes for their feet. We wined them and dined them, they ate of our meat And they slept in the house of MacDonald. Chorus They came from Fort William with murder in mind. The Campbell had orders King William had signed. "Put all to the sword"- these words underlined, "And leave none alive called MacDonald." Chorus They came in the night when the men were asleep, This band of Argyles, through snow soft and deep, Like murdering foxes amongst helpless sheep, They slaughtered the house of MacDonald. Chorus Some died in their beds at the hand of the foe; Some fled in the night and were lost in the snow; Some lived to accuse him who struck the first blow; But gone was the house of MacDonald. Chorus
So many people have died in cold-blood .... the singer's voice so aptly brings out the pain of those who were massacred and the tribute to them for their bravery.
Being from America, I never knew any of this until a bagpiper of MacDonald descent refused to shake my hand when I complimented him for his skillful music at a funeral I conducted. He said, "You have a bad name, don't you Campbell?" and asked me to look up the history of the massacre and I found this song a few years ago. I studied some of the history but can't say that I understand all of the political issues between the English monarchy and the clans. Since then, I've been confronted by both McGregors and Sinclairs and had one piper play this song at another funeral I conducted in my 'honor'. I want to come to Scotland one day...guess I'd better be careful about which area. By the way, my smile is crooked.
IM a Campbell and am actually related to a number of MacDonalds - just as the two clans were at the time - its why the Campbells of Argyll were ordered by the king to carry out the massacre . It had as much to do with religion as politics or anything else ! Not Many Scots these days are as hard as the expats you have met !!!
re Neil Campbell lmao Try renting a room from my uncle John MacDonald if yer name is Campbell, even if every room is vacant ye'll no get a bed for the night.
I'm actually from the Argyles who really killed the McDonalds, because McDonald swore allegiance to William, but latter recanted and turned on William of Orange for Bonnie prince Charlie.
i visited Glen Coe with my daughter and mother last August. It was the most beautiful part of Scotland that we visited. I was amazed by the majesty. That something so horrid happened there is beyond my comprehension. Very much worth visiting!!!
This was my great-great… grandparents. I am a Macdonald of Glencoe. There are very few left, even several centuries later. Every one of my known ancestors was a soldier, as was I. Some even fought for the Crown. In America we pay Indians because we "massacred" them. I have been to Glencoe. And to Culloden Moor, where the last of the Donalds stood and died for freedom. We cannot go back. But let us not forget the past, where men fought and died for freedom. - Douglas McDonald
+Douglas McDonald re-read your history books. Scottish "freedom" was only a factor later in the jacobite rising under the young pretender. catholic supremacy across Britain was their aim. most of Scotland was Presbyterian and loathed the highlanders. they have supported a French invasion of England and the lowlands. Catholicism, not Scotland was their inspiration.
+Liam Cunliffe You fuckin clown, depends what history books your reading, probably the two biggest clowns in England, David Starkey and Simon Schma, the English aristocracy just didnt want a Catholic about the place, also, those dirty bastards, what they feared most, which is also what the loved most, was a loss of power and privellage,
+Liam Cunliffe The Crown of England was the main aim of the Young Pretender, sure he said to John Macdonald of Glenaladale, that if he enjoyed his own again, he would meet his in St James yet.
I am French I have never been to Scotland and yet your country and your history fascinate me. I hope one day to visit your beautiful country with the brave people
In my Croatian culture... we have the same tradition.. when you break bread with someone... they become family... so you end up protecting them like your own blood... you go without to help them in their need. Another tradition, if someone strikes you... you hit him back with a piece of bread. God bless you Scotland... lovely people!
Yeah, and in my tradition, any son of a bitch, grinning at you stupidly ought to be shot. So, How's that for goddamn traditions? Yeah, your all peace lovin' do rights to every one around you, no matter their behaviour.
I joined a day tour to Glencoe and the guide played this song along the road, I enjoyed both visual and hearing pleasure. A beautiful land. Greetings from HK
My family were first registered as living there since 1747after the battle of culloden a census of land oni NG families and we have lived within 30miles of there ever since apart from me who lives in England for a while but we always go home as a child I wS not allowed to play with a campbell
Lol. I watched a Campbell and a MacDonald looking at the same exhibit of Glencoe in Scotland. They both seemed nice people. I find it hard to hate people for what their ancestors did 250 years ago.
It's history and cannot be changed along with many other tragedies including slavery, wars and where all man made. We must learn by the past and not revenge.
@@mistyblude16They were allies. Campbells & MacDonalds traditional enemies were used to killing each other. The difference here was accepting hospitality & then doing it - breaking/betraying the rules. A time of social dislocation.
I am a MacDonald and I am proud that my family/clan has always stood proud against many injustices and overwhelming odds. And yes, my ancestors were at Culloden and paid the penalty for that. Suas Alba!
Me too visited Scotland in August/Sept 2023 tourguide also play this song and told us the heartbreaking story. It was very emotional 😢 I am from Cape Town South Africa
Indeed. Being from the MacDonald clan (dads side) and Campbell (mums side) it's great having this on here! Reminds us of our roots. Thanks for posting!
Thank you for uploading this song. The song is haunting, as I'm sure the battlegrounds must be.I cannot visit battlegrounds because the spirits seem to still dwell there. Our Civil War battlegrounds and places like Wounded Knee are some of the most haunted grounds in the US. When I lived and worked for six months in Poland, within 50 miles of Auswitz (not sure how to spell it) I never visited it.I didn't want to feel the suffering of those helpless people.
I visited Glen Coe a week ago for the first time and I could barely hold back tears myself. Somehow that massacre just resonates with me. I can barely imagine how one from the McDonald clan must feel.
I am english, the more I hear and read what happened to the Scots the more I hate being english, It was and will always be your country, we had no right to take it from you or murder your people. I hope one day your country is free again.
Love Scottland!! Heard this tragic song live, in Inverness a couple of years ago!! I sang it in the bus as we passed Glencoe. In Denmark The Crownprincess Mary (Donaldson)McDonald is very loved!!
just sitting listening to this beautiful song the night when the orange parades where marching today in glasgow knowing the orders from the massacre came straight from william of orange shame on them..
hawker mean traveler, iam a traveler and i can go way back in my history, the person who owns that hotel is most probably english, reason being the highlanders are not racist people, the travelers used to have great respect in the highlands
The word campbell means crooked mouth ( liar), or so I've been led to believe. As is so often the case, the traitor within can do more harm than a declared (honest ) enemy outwith.
I went with Paddy and Maggie Williamson to watch the Corries perform this song in Elgin in 1969. Wonderful music, truly wonderful and an unforgettable night.
I did just a bit of reading about the massacre at Glencoe, and I remember reading the lyrics to this song. But I have never heard it sung until just tonight. All I can say is, wow...
hi I am from glasgow originally, lived in MK for the last 30 years, left Galsgow because of the bigatory, we used to have a great Saturday afternoon session here where both sides sang along with each other, and never a bad word said against each other, long gone sadly missed.. Friday nights in the Anchor Bar, saucihall Street would never be the same without flower Of Scotland..
Love Scotland.....Whenever i visit Scotland , i just love the beautiful nature in Scotland, it's so relaxing and peaceful, the village people are so welcoming ,caring and Hospitable.
@ Izaak. Bookwater ..here are the lyrics to the song which should explain everything for you. Oh cruel is the snow that sweeps Glencoe And covers the grave o' Donald And cruel was the foe that raped Glencoe And murdered the house o' MacDonald (chorus) They came through the blizzard, we offered them heat A roof ower their heads, dry shoes for their feet We wined them and dined them, they ate o' our meat And slept in the house O' MacDonald (chorus) They came from Fort William with murder mind The Campbell had orders, King William had signed Pit all tae the sword, these words underlined And leave none alive called MacDonald (chorus) They came in the night when the men were asleep That band of Argyles, through snow soft and deep. Like murdering foxes, among helpless sheep They slaughtered the house o' MacDonald (chorus) Some died in their beds at the hands of the foe Some fled in the night, were lost in the snow. Some lived to accuse him, what struck the first blow But gone was the house of MacDonald
Ironically, the government wanted a new directory of the Glencoe Museum. They picked a Campbell and that didn't go over very well with the public. They quickly retracted that.
It never ceases to amaze me, the back stabbing of the Campbells during this era. To accept the hospitality of their hosts, then slaughter them. It goes against the grain of decency. After all these years they're treachery has never really been forgotten, and rightly so. The song ,as others, has been well put over by the Corries, they've been my favorite folk group for years. Well delivered as always, many thanks.
instead of being taught our scottish history at school we were taught about waterloo and francis drake etc, this stuff is much more relevant to scots, sadly most scottish people couldn't even tell you what happened at the massacre of glencoe if you asked them.
I'm an American, Welsh and English in blood, but we're looking into it and finding Scottish. Even before I knew any of that, I have had a lifelong thirst for folk songs and the history of the British Isles. It saddens me, culture and history is slowly fading away to a world of lust and leisure, what once was a world of true pride and work. (Edit: In America, we don't even learn about the Barbary Wars)
The Barbary Wars, in the time of truly understanding what islam is about. Wake up USA and many others before too late, as the intentions of islam has not changed. History will be repeated more savagely if it is not learned.!
GARY MCGOWAN I went to secondary school in the 1970's (in Scotland) and we were taught Scottish history all the way back to the Picts. Unification of Scottish and English crowns with King James VI becoming James I of England. William Wallace, the Battle of Stirling Bridge, etc. (so many things in the movie "Braveheart" are just absolute rubbish, to put it mildly.) Robert the Bruce, the Battle of Bannockburn, etc. The two Jacobite Rebellions. The Glencoe Massacre. The Battle of Culloden. The only preunification English history we learned was in relation to the invasion by the Roman Empire -- Boudicca, Julius Caesar, Hadrian's Wall, etc. After that it was British history (and some European.) I live in Canada now, and I have no idea what they are teaching in Scottish schools these days, but I'm very glad I to have learned what I did then.
Why would the Campbells obey an order from King William in 1692? The Act of Union didn't take place until 1707. Until then the Scottish Parliament still had autonomy.
my uncle is macdonald , his Dad and my late Mum would not buy Campells soup . we (ME and my brother / sister and cousins all told Never trust a Cambell . i however visit Glencoe often great place .
I am an Englishman who served in a Hjghland Regiment for five years,my Wife was a MacDonald and even today there is still a lot of resenment over the Glencoe Massacre.
Finnaly someone else that understands what happened. Im fed up of the McDonalds been treated like martyrs. The campbells have protected Scotland since they helped Robert the Bruce defeat the English in the first war of independence.
We lived in the north of Scotland and often travelled through those glenco mountains, to visit family , it was , to me anyway , very very quiet ! Just sad, not creepy just dreadfully sad ! Growing up in Scotland we were not taught Scottish History in schools! It was all about the English, not a Royalist didn’t do much for me ! I didn’t live far from Culloden yet never knew of that History until I was an adult ! I never got to visit it either Funnily enough I’ve learned more about Scottish History since emigrating here! We were Lowlanders, Now more and more in Scotland gladly wear the kilt and celebrate our Scottish History !
I am a MacDonald, from the macDonnells of Glengarry,my grandfather was a MacDonald of Glaster in that part of the highlands,the whole thing was political and old scores got settled,in the song King William is villified as having actually signed the document that led to the attack,not the case.Sir John Dalrymple ,master of stair and the secretary for Scotland,he is the bad guy,he held a grudge and he was determined to get back at the MacDonalds.
What ye are all forgetting is that the problem is not what was done (that happened often) but HOW it was done - the murderers where offered hospitality from the winter as happened in those days (still does in places) and they took it, the term "ate his salt" covers it - they then slaughtered the people who had offered this hospitality - THAT WAS THE CRIME that goes against everything the highlander stood for!
A beautiful song about a tragic event. It makes me proud to be Scottish. @ MrLeatherbelt, if you're proud of this then really words can not describe you.
For thosr that dont understand the meaning or the basis behind this song...the single best Point of reference for you young types is the House of Frey in Game of Thrones. Its an unforgiveable Folly to shed blood in the house where you have borken bread together, whether hosts killing guests or vice versa...and many would damn the name of the offending house forever. The sanctity and hospitality of home should never be desecrated.
Just like to say thanks to the uploader for the song and the collection...luv it.. BTW i thought ya know i just to say that i think ppl should keep their bigitry comments to theirselves. Come on enough is enough. My partner is from Glasgow and im from London. We are both proud of who we are and wher we came from. Leave the past in the past.
Lindsay Ross played the Massacre of Glencoe as the bridal waltz at our wedding, till someone told him it was a Campbell wedding, has anyone else tried waltzing to Maries Wedding?
There is a lot of tripe talked about the Campbells and the MacDonalds. My Campbell forebears were hereditary bodyguards to the MacDonell Chief of Keppoch and our closest friends were the MacDonalds of GlenCoe. On the night of the massacre, the only point of the compass open to the survivors was North, so they skirted Loch Leven and headed to Roy Bridge where they were fed and housed by my ancestors. When the GlenCoe MacDonalds turned up at Culloden, they were told they were too small in number to be an independent regiment and would have to attach themselves to a larger outfit. They chose the Glenlyon Campbells. 'nuff said.
It was a small museum in Glencoe, when I visited it, twenty years ago, it was inscribes: "Opened to any but forbade to the Campbells." It is really horrible the manner of which the MacDonalds were wiped out on this place and I regret how some boys of my clan were at sides of the Campbells.
A thought provoking song that shames the Clan and perpetrator of the henious crime. On visiting the area have been reminded that the animosity still runs deep to this day. Or does it?
Glencoe was not our finest hour. Brought shame to our good name. My kids are learning about this event at school and can't believe their ancestors did such a thing.
+alex campbell No intended disrespect toward any modern human by this comment. Not many fine hours in Englands' history with the Celts. Most of it is of torture, starvation, and murder on a repetitive cycle. Nasty history we have, and I'm very glad to hear that your children are repulsed by this portion of history as it shows they are learning from others mistakes, and if they continue on said course, I am sure that they will retain themselves as wonderful people in adulthood. :)
+Celtic Fiddler Not to let the English establishment off too lightly, but this notorious incident was the result of planning by Scottish nobles and was put into action after being approved by the king of Scotland, Ireland and England, who was a Dutchman. No English involvement as far as I know, much like many of the most notorious incidents of Scotland's history. We've actually often been pretty good at killing each other without English involvement.
Alistair Thompson Thank you for the clarification. I was ignorant to the specific details of said event, but was speaking in generalities. I am fairly ignorant to the finer details of Scottish history because my ancestry is Irish, yet sympathize greatly toward any nation that has been crippled in past time by the English/British. God knows my family would be far better off financially and our bloodline would stretch much further if not for the repetitive murder, slavery, and exile of my ancestral family. Then again, that may be partially my families fault, because we have this tendency to continually show loyalty toward upright politics, yet will not hesitate to give our lives for a better cause. Hard headed bunch we are. O'hi'omhair by name if one needs. Also for interesting conversation, my great great great great great great ect grandfather was the last pagan monarch in Ireland. WOOHOO! :P
+Celtic Fiddler Well, I think governments in general tend to be at least suspicious & at worst openly hostile towards elements that they consider to be opposed to them & the British government has historically been no exception to this rule. As far as these islands are concerned, the main thing which has helped to reduce the arbitrary power of governments has been the gradual though far from constant increase in democracy in Britain (not so much for Ireland, which was always governed separately and unfairly, even after the Union of 1801) over the last few centuries. Tempting as it may be, rising in rebellion against governments, British, Scottish, American or otherwise, always results in terrible retribution against the rebels. Only very rarely do rebels win outright despite the reprisals and hence become revolutionaries. More often than not attempts to subvert the status quo through violence ultimately fail and consequently most of these attempts are not remembered. There have been countless rebellions in British & Irish history for example but only very few of them are remembered. Actually in this case I think it would probably be fair to say that the terrible retribution that followed the rebellion is better remembered than the events of the rebellion itself. I don't think I'm exaggerating when I say that far more people have heard of the Massacre of Glencoe than have heard of Killiecrankie, not to mention the almost-forgotten Battle of Dunkeld. The concurrent events over in Ireland at the Boyne etc. of course are commemorated every year, although hardly ever in a balanced manner and the main people who commemorate the events prefer to celebrate the forces loyal to the government rather than the rebels. Oddly enough, that government itself came to power in a largely bloodless revolution (it was a coup really) - bloodless that is until rebellions loyal to the old king broke out in Ireland & Scotland and were violently suppressed.
Alistair Thompson I agree that rebellion, even when it is for the best, usually is not worth the loss that is at costs. Governments indeed are corrupt beyond measure because fickle men run them, and men have a tendency to be persuaded by monetary gain. As for rebellion, look at the American Civil War. How many wars has America been in since the Civil War? The United States of America have still not surpassed the death toll of the Civil War with all it's other wars death tolls combined, so you make a very easily verifiable statement. Why can't all men just be good and honest to their neighbor?
@Grouter12 I am from clan MacMillan. I live in the U.S. I remember my grandfather telling me when I was a little boy to never trust a Campbell. I remember him speaking Gaelic to my Grandmother when I was very small, and wondered where he learned to speak this foreign tongue. It is only recently that I have come to appreciate my heritage and to learn the history of my ancestors that migrated from Scotland to Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. This song is a reminder of my grandfathers words.
There is a joke that is told in Cape Breton Island about the massacre. A MacDonald walks into the Whycocomagh Legion and goes over and punches a Campbell in the mouth. The Campbell says What was that for?, the MacDonald says for Glencoe. The Campbell says that 400 years ago, the MacDonald says I only heard about it last night.
been a Corrie fan since 1965 when I worked the Limes (Spotlights) at the Caley Picture House Edinburgh at their Festival shows thanks for bringing back many happy memories....
It was not the 'Campbell clan' who were sent. It was the Earl of Argyll's Regiment of Foot, regular soldiers not a clan militia. Very few of them actually bore the Campbell name. The leader was Captain Robert Campbell of Glenlyon, an unpleasant character, but strong MacDonald tradition suggests that the Campbell soldiers warned many in good time. Again, according to tradition, the family of Campbell of Airds at Castle Stalker helped many of the fugitives.
This is true a lot of mcdonalds were forewarned it was not Campbell clan fund it was a late oath there is a henderson stone at glencoe as I am related to both families
I just knew this story when i came to live to Scotland a few months ago. I think that i dont know all the details but i think that its pretty beautiful that someone sings about these kind of stories. In my country this is bery unusual and i really love this kind of things
I was married to a MacDonald who was a direct descendant of a family which was warned by one of the English lieutenants who had taken of their hospitality. The story and his cryptic words of warning had been passed down through the generations. After he died, I made a pilgrimage up to Glencoe and scattered my husband's ashes on the burial island of Eilean Mundi in Loch Leven.
Perhaps by any chance he was linked to Norman MacDonald?
I had 2 drs., one named Dalrymple and another McPhail. I also have a friend named Jim Campbell and knew a McCallum whose father was from Sterlingshire. My family's mostly Irish, but I've got English, German, and Scottish roots too and live in the USA, in Ga. I first heard about the song and the Corries in my British Folklore class in college. Such a sad song, but the two singers were fantastic!
I'm curious what those words were, can you tell us?
@@virginiaconnor8350stirlingshire. That’s where I’m from
Falkirk
Beautiful!
I had an old school friend ( since passed ) who used to go camping up to Glencoe every year and set up his tent on the moor. He told me there`s an atmosphere there you can slice up and sell on a street corner. You can feel it too, just by being there whether, on foot, in a car or, on a coach. A haunting feeling that when on your own, you have a distinct feeling you`re being watched.
There is also an atmosphere at Cullodin, up on the moor where the battle took place.
I hope you stood at the henderson stone the mcdonalds and hendersons from that area are my ancestors
I remember visiting Scotland last summer. We were on a sightseeing tour of the highlands. While driving through the breathtaking landscape of Glencoe, our tour guide told us the story of the Glencoe massacre and played this song. Probably the greatest travelling moment of my life... Thank you Scotland and greetings from Finland
all school kids should learn about this
Helen Rudd I am
There are lots of things that should be taught in Scottish schools that were not when I lived in Clydebank. Not even the Clydebank Blitz. I'm 63.
SantsaStark
the real Scottish history is not taught in school curriculum, thanks to English government. Parents teach your children the truth
The most heinous crime you could commit in the Scottish Highlands was: ‘murder under trust’, this is what caused the outrage at the time. I was born in Glencoe and one day I will be buried there.
James Wilkins 'murder under trust'..well ...would never trust a sheep ..horse.. cattle thieving McDonald....trust..you must be joking what a laugh...they were 'all as bad' but hey... 'blinkers' are an amazing thing especially for the romantically created highlands...
+onemexican1 But it was legal when the English and their Campbell lackies staged the Highland Clearances?
+onemexican1 I think you will find that people in Scotland, have a great deal of sympathy for the Macdonalds of the Western Seaboard and the Glens of Antrim, wether in Antrim, Islay, Kintyre, Uist, Benbecula, Skye, Moidart, Knoydart, Morar, Arisaig, Ardnamurchan, Glengarry, Glencoe, Glenaladale or Keppoch in the Braes of Lochaber, where ever they came from, people today, very thankfully, are aware of the History of the Highlands and of the great custodians of gaelic culture the Macdonals.
So, yes people are very proud to be associated with the Macdonalds, and also the name Campbell, in the Scottish syche, it is a disgraced name, forever associated with treachery, and wether that is a shortbread tin notion or not is irrelevant, that is just the way it is in Scotland and the Highlands, the name Campbell is synonamous with Treachery and Untrustworthiness.... Up the Macdonalds of Dunivaig and the Glens
Wrong. The clearances were caused by the hereditary chiefs realising they could make more money out of sheep than they got from their clansmen. Nothing English about it. Apparently, at the time, the highlanders evicted from their homes ,bamed the chiefs new "four footed clansmen "
Ray Lumley think you'll find the english were involved. granted, some Scots were paid by the english to turn judas. however, was still english soldiers of the time that raped, pillaged and murdered Scottish clans who opposed the english crown. they spared no one in the Highlands, man woman or child. pisses me off when i hear the brits talking about ethnic cleansing when they are guilty of the same crime.
I sat on a hill in Glencoe and listened to the Corries sing this song of betrayal. A deed which still haunts the mountains and glens. Sung by the Corries it is truly moving.
A black day for king william it all came from a late oath in bad weather my mcdonalds are from near glencoe it was a horrific crime rule and divide tactics again us scots must learn from the past
Je suis français aujourd'hui 13fevrier j'ai une pensée pour le massacre de Glen coe 🏴
We visited Glencoe on a Lochs and Glens Coach holiday. The driver played this song while we were driving through the Glen 😢
As a young lad growing up, my parents took us all to see The Corries in Castle Douglas .........I've never forgotten it........... WONDERFUL !!!
Such an emotional song 😢.
We visited Scotland not long ago via Rabbies tour to the Highlands and we went past the village while listening to this song. Scotland is such a beautiful place to see it exceeded our expectations! Its a must if you haven't visited yet.
Scotland will certainly exceed your expectations as long as you are not expecting sunshine and/or warm temperatures, we get those about 2 days each year
The Corrie's will never be forgotten God bless Amen
and iam 🇬🇧
My mother was a McDonald, my husband and I visited Scotland and went to Glencoe from Australia last year, I have to say there is a very eerie feeling in the atmosphere
+Ann Murrell Its called hame!!!
+Ann Murrell Been there several times Ann and felt the chilling presence in the glen you experienced, so have a few others I have spoken to over the years.
+Ann Murrell
Have felt it myself. It is a very strange place, with a weird atmosphere..
I haven't been but I've heard a few say similar things about Glencoe
+Ann Murrell ..the first time I was in Glencoe, I had fallen asleep in the car it was a snowy December day, I woke up, and within seconds, I felt that we were in a strange land ....the strangeness was over and above a bleak winters day, it was over and above the loneliness of the narrow winding road that had only us and our little tiny Mini ...a fence, perhaps there was a tumbling down stone shelter for a shepard, and a burn winking through now and again ....perhaps it was just waking suddenly to an unfamiliar road ....( I am from California) but I think it was my Celtic blood responding to the place itself ......
the second time I was in Glencoe, I was awake when we arrived, early spring day ...and still the eerie silence of the land, the utter emptyness of the landscape....the lack of most signs of human occupancy, and the lack of other humans, ( both times there, we were the only car on the road ....the length of the glen .....) .....
it was a while ago now, back in the early/mid 80s,.....but as you can tell, the place made a deep impression on me, one that I remember vividly to this day .....
Theres still Pubs in Glencoe stating 'Dogs welcome, but NO CAMPBELLS!'
What if there was a dog called Campbell?
Good
@@lyrimetacurl0 they turn it into soup and serve to English tourists. Tastes like chicken seemingly
@@iainwalkingshaw1006 haha Crispy fried tales for toothpicks!
Fortunately my Campbell lineage doesn't show up in my last name. LOL
I visited Glencoe on a bus tour --(we had a McDonald AND a Campbell on the bus as well) I'm Aussie with Scottish ancestory - and eventhough I knew a little bit about the killings from the stories my Nanna told me, I was't prepared at all for how I felt when I got off the bus. I lasted about 3 minutes and had to get back on, hair on the back of my neck & arms standing up & feeling sick to my stomch.
I swear I could hear the cry's & screams of the murderd. Probably one of the most heartbreaking places I've ever been , apart from Culloden
I live in the US and my great grandmother said we were from the Isle of Skye. I just built my family tree up in her line and it led to Alistair MacDonald, a victim of Glencoe. I always wondered why our family left Scotland. So sad. Amazing our tree goes back so far.
My family are mcdonalds from near glencoe
hello, there was many a bloody episode in my Country's history. The thing that distinguishes this bloody episode from the others is the betrayal of the hospitality.
A shame upon them all and a curse to the many who prefer Brutania to Scotland. Our day will come. Saor Alba
Gives you goose bumps , so glad Scottish history remains in songs such as this! ❤️ Scotland 🏴❤️
Scottish history is not all about cowardly massacres such as this, please get your facts right !!!!
History is there for us to remember how not to repeat the mistakes made yesterday. This song will always remind us how not to think, be or act. Haunting, Historical and Beautiful.
Ballad of Glencoe
Chorus
Oh, cruel was the snow that sweeps Glencoe
And covers the grave o' Donald.
Oh, cruel was the foe that raped Glencoe
And murdered the house of MacDonald
They came in a blizzard, we offered them heat,
A roof for their heads, dry shoes for their feet.
We wined them and dined them, they ate of our meat
And they slept in the house of MacDonald.
Chorus
They came from Fort William with murder in mind.
The Campbell had orders King William had signed.
"Put all to the sword"- these words underlined,
"And leave none alive called MacDonald."
Chorus
They came in the night when the men were asleep,
This band of Argyles, through snow soft and deep,
Like murdering foxes amongst helpless sheep,
They slaughtered the house of MacDonald.
Chorus
Some died in their beds at the hand of the foe;
Some fled in the night and were lost in the snow;
Some lived to accuse him who struck the first blow;
But gone was the house of MacDonald.
Chorus
Very sad indeed such proud people
2:11
Merci pour ces paroles.
a roof o'er theirr heads surely?
Every time I hear this song it brings a tear to my eye knowing my family were betrayed like that
I feel bad for your family and you but hey
This song brings a tear to my eye it's heart breaking to know what my ancestors went through on the dreadful morning
So many people have died in cold-blood .... the singer's voice so aptly brings out the pain of those who were massacred and the tribute to them for their bravery.
I grew up with these guys thanks to mum and dad. I'm thankful. The most soul stirring and funny duo ever
The more I learn of Scotland, the more humbled I am to know that I come from such an honorable heritage.
It's really amazing how songs like this about such horrible things can be so soothing to listen to.
It sounds like a waltz
Being from America, I never knew any of this until a bagpiper of MacDonald descent refused to shake my hand when I complimented him for his skillful music at a funeral I conducted. He said, "You have a bad name, don't you Campbell?" and asked me to look up the history of the massacre and I found this song a few years ago. I studied some of the history but can't say that I understand all of the political issues between the English monarchy and the clans. Since then, I've been confronted by both McGregors and Sinclairs and had one piper play this song at another funeral I conducted in my 'honor'. I want to come to Scotland one day...guess I'd better be careful about which area. By the way, my smile is crooked.
IM a Campbell and am actually related to a number of MacDonalds - just as the two clans were at the time - its why the Campbells of Argyll were ordered by the king to carry out the massacre . It had as much to do with religion as politics or anything else ! Not Many Scots these days are as hard as the expats you have met !!!
re Neil Campbell lmao Try renting a room from my uncle John MacDonald if yer name is Campbell, even if every room is vacant ye'll no get a bed for the night.
I'm actually from the Argyles who really killed the McDonalds, because McDonald swore allegiance to William, but latter recanted and turned on William of Orange for Bonnie prince Charlie.
@@nocoskull44 this is the best account of what happend yet it had nothing to do with scotland it was the English to blame
yet to this day so many scots go to praise this man that signed for the massacre of one of our clans is beyond me
i visited Glen Coe with my daughter and mother last August. It was the most beautiful part of Scotland that we visited. I was amazed by the majesty. That something so horrid happened there is beyond my comprehension. Very much worth visiting!!!
This was my great-great… grandparents. I am a Macdonald of Glencoe. There are very few left, even several centuries later. Every one of my known ancestors was a soldier, as was I. Some even fought for the Crown. In America we pay Indians because we "massacred" them. I have been to Glencoe. And to Culloden Moor, where the last of the Donalds stood and died for freedom. We cannot go back. But let us not forget the past, where men fought and died for freedom. - Douglas McDonald
Aye, and I'm the pope.
+Douglas McDonald re-read your history books. Scottish "freedom" was only a factor later in the jacobite rising under the young pretender. catholic supremacy across Britain was their aim. most of Scotland was Presbyterian and loathed the highlanders. they have supported a French invasion of England and the lowlands. Catholicism, not Scotland was their inspiration.
+Liam Cunliffe You fuckin clown, depends what history books your reading, probably the two biggest clowns in England, David Starkey and Simon Schma, the English aristocracy just didnt want a Catholic about the place, also, those dirty bastards, what they feared most, which is also what the loved most, was a loss of power and privellage,
+Liam Cunliffe The Crown of England was the main aim of the Young Pretender, sure he said to John Macdonald of Glenaladale, that if he enjoyed his own again, he would meet his in St James yet.
they are cowards
I am French I have never been to Scotland and yet your country and your history fascinate me. I hope one day to visit your beautiful country with the brave people
Only a train ride away buddy. Sorry for having to go through that crap on the way up but will be worth it when your here
You'll be made very welcome in Scotland
You are French. You are very welcome to meet the auld alliance
In my Croatian culture... we have the same tradition..
when you break bread with someone... they become family...
so you end up protecting them like your own blood...
you go without to help them in their need.
Another tradition, if someone strikes you... you hit him back with a piece of bread.
God bless you Scotland... lovely people!
Yeah, and in my tradition, any son of a bitch, grinning at you stupidly ought to be shot. So, How's that for goddamn traditions? Yeah, your all peace lovin' do rights to every one around you, no matter their behaviour.
@@josephbuckley7240 Sounds like a badarse culture, but there ain't none like it in the real world.
I cry everytime I hear this song. Love Scotland.
fantastic guitar players as well as singers and composers,excellent timing
I joined a day tour to Glencoe and the guide played this song along the road, I enjoyed both visual and hearing pleasure. A beautiful land. Greetings from HK
Don't let any of the comments put you off coming to this magical, mysterious place! It truly is an insperation!
You will not be murdered.
Thanks...Tom Campbell
My family were first registered as living there since 1747after the battle of culloden a census of land oni NG families and we have lived within 30miles of there ever since apart from me who lives in England for a while but we always go home as a child I wS not allowed to play with a campbell
I love this version the best. Thank you. I love Scotland. My visit this summer was a lifelong dream.
+Linda cp So far the best holiday I ever took was in Scotland many years ago when I was young. And that was when I discovered The Corries.
A beautiful song about a tragic event. It makes me proud to be Scottish.
An amazing song that always brings memories of my childhod back. My mam LOVED the Corries and I know why !!!
Lol. I watched a Campbell and a MacDonald looking at the same exhibit of Glencoe in Scotland. They both seemed nice people. I find it hard to hate people for what their ancestors did 250 years ago.
It's history and cannot be changed along with many other tragedies including slavery, wars and where all man made. We must learn by the past and not revenge.
the Cambell's had orders from the English to do this
@@mistyblude16 When in doubt blame the English.
@@mistyblude16They were allies. Campbells & MacDonalds traditional enemies were used to killing each other. The difference here was accepting hospitality & then doing it - breaking/betraying the rules. A time of social dislocation.
I am a MacDonald and I am proud that my family/clan has always stood proud against many injustices and overwhelming odds. And yes, my ancestors were at Culloden and paid the penalty for that. Suas Alba!
My grandfather has told me this story since I was a child I must say I like this version of the poem :)
Me too visited Scotland in August/Sept 2023 tourguide also play this song and told us the heartbreaking story. It was very emotional 😢 I am from Cape Town South Africa
Indeed. Being from the MacDonald clan (dads side) and Campbell (mums side) it's great having this on here! Reminds us of our roots. Thanks for posting!
Thank you for uploading this song. The song is haunting, as I'm sure the battlegrounds must be.I cannot visit battlegrounds because the spirits seem to still dwell there. Our Civil War battlegrounds and places like Wounded Knee are some of the most haunted grounds in the US. When I lived and worked for six months in Poland, within 50 miles of Auswitz (not sure how to spell it) I never visited it.I didn't want to feel the suffering of those helpless people.
and also evil
These were my ancestors -- and when I visited Glencoe I could scarcely bear the pain I felt...
I visited Glen Coe a week ago for the first time and I could barely hold back tears myself. Somehow that massacre just resonates with me. I can barely imagine how one from the McDonald clan must feel.
Bitter, lass, very bitter. Never trust a Campbell.
thats brutal
I am english, the more I hear and read what happened to the Scots the more I hate being english, It was and will always be your country, we had no right to take it from you or murder your people. I hope one day your country is free again.
@@lisajohnson9456 Never be ashamed of who you are
magic ...what a place what a story and what singers nane better
Love Scottland!! Heard this tragic song live, in Inverness a couple of years ago!! I sang it in the bus as we passed Glencoe. In Denmark The Crownprincess Mary (Donaldson)McDonald is very loved!!
just sitting listening to this beautiful song the night when the orange parades where marching today in glasgow knowing the orders from the massacre came straight from william of orange shame on them..
Never trust a Campbell.
Sign on Clencoe Inn:
" No entry for dogs, pedlars and Campbells"
Its "no Hawkers or Campbells" on the main door at the Clachaig Inn also.I visit often.
Totally agree Mary!
hawker mean traveler, iam a traveler and i can go way back in my history, the person who owns that hotel is most probably english, reason being the highlanders are not racist people, the travelers used to have great respect in the highlands
The word campbell means crooked mouth ( liar), or so I've been led to believe. As is so often the case, the traitor within can do more harm than a declared (honest ) enemy outwith.
Lol
I went with Paddy and Maggie Williamson to watch the Corries perform this song in Elgin in 1969. Wonderful music, truly wonderful and an unforgettable night.
We had the same ,while on Great Rails holiday late April, our coach driver Davy played this while driving through ,lovely song
I did just a bit of reading about the massacre at Glencoe, and I remember reading the lyrics to this song. But I have never heard it sung until just tonight.
All I can say is, wow...
Beautiful...thank you for posting it. Love Scotland's music.
hi I am from glasgow originally, lived in MK for the last 30 years, left Galsgow because of the bigatory, we used to have a great Saturday afternoon session here where both sides sang along with each other, and never a bad word said against each other, long gone sadly missed..
Friday nights in the Anchor Bar, saucihall Street would never be the same without flower Of Scotland..
Love Scotland.....Whenever i visit Scotland , i just love the beautiful nature in Scotland, it's so relaxing and peaceful, the village people are so welcoming ,caring and Hospitable.
Loved your beautiful ballad. Minstrel music ahhhh, soothing yet not without it's sting of truth. Great video, thankyou. :-)
Proud to be a MacDonald AND a Campbell- I've heard this story so many times since I was a child, and it fascinates me to this day.
I've listened to this since i was a wee boy. It never gets any easier. A truly heartbreaking song.
I grew up in a small town...Glencoe..KwaZulu-Natal province South Africa
@ Izaak. Bookwater ..here are the lyrics to the song which should explain everything for you.
Oh cruel is the snow that sweeps Glencoe
And covers the grave o' Donald
And cruel was the foe that raped Glencoe
And murdered the house o' MacDonald
(chorus)
They came through the blizzard, we offered them heat
A roof ower their heads, dry shoes for their feet
We wined them and dined them, they ate o' our meat
And slept in the house O' MacDonald
(chorus)
They came from Fort William with murder mind
The Campbell had orders, King William had signed
Pit all tae the sword, these words underlined
And leave none alive called MacDonald
(chorus)
They came in the night when the men were asleep
That band of Argyles, through snow soft and deep.
Like murdering foxes, among helpless sheep
They slaughtered the house o' MacDonald
(chorus)
Some died in their beds at the hands of the foe
Some fled in the night, were lost in the snow.
Some lived to accuse him, what struck the first blow
But gone was the house of MacDonald
poor things
Ironically, the government wanted a new directory of the Glencoe Museum. They picked a Campbell and that didn't go over very well with the public. They quickly retracted that.
beautiful beautiful land & people!!!
Beautifully sung.
Amazing song. RIP to all those who died in the massacre of glencoe..
It never ceases to amaze me, the back stabbing of the Campbells during this era. To accept the hospitality of their hosts, then slaughter them. It goes against the grain of decency. After all these years they're treachery has never really been forgotten, and rightly so. The song ,as others, has been well put over by the Corries, they've been my favorite folk group for years. Well delivered as always, many thanks.
Will always remind me of my da. He had their tape on repeat in the car when I was wee ❤
instead of being taught our scottish history at school we were taught about waterloo and francis drake etc, this stuff is much more relevant to scots, sadly most scottish people couldn't even tell you what happened at the massacre of glencoe if you asked them.
Kev D bullshit! I learned all about this piece of Scottish history
I'm an American, Welsh and English in blood, but we're looking into it and finding Scottish.
Even before I knew any of that, I have had a lifelong thirst for folk songs and the history of the British Isles.
It saddens me, culture and history is slowly fading away to a world of lust and leisure, what once was a world of true pride and work.
(Edit: In America, we don't even learn about the Barbary Wars)
The Barbary Wars, in the time of truly understanding what islam is about.
Wake up USA and many others before too late, as the intentions of islam has not changed.
History will be repeated more savagely if it is not learned.!
GARY MCGOWAN I went to secondary school in the 1970's (in Scotland) and we were taught Scottish history all the way back to the Picts. Unification of Scottish and English crowns with King James VI becoming James I of England. William Wallace, the Battle of Stirling Bridge, etc. (so many things in the movie "Braveheart" are just absolute rubbish, to put it mildly.) Robert the Bruce, the Battle of Bannockburn, etc. The two Jacobite Rebellions. The Glencoe Massacre. The Battle of Culloden. The only preunification English history we learned was in relation to the invasion by the Roman Empire -- Boudicca, Julius Caesar, Hadrian's Wall, etc. After that it was British history (and some European.) I live in Canada now, and I have no idea what they are teaching in Scottish schools these days, but I'm very glad I to have learned what I did then.
I'm English with Scottish ancestry and I know. I have cryed thinking about it.
"The campbells had orders king william had signed " didnt know that . Some m donalds might change thier opinion on king billy
very true
Why would the Campbells obey an order from King William in 1692? The Act of Union didn't take place until 1707. Until then the Scottish Parliament still had autonomy.
my uncle is macdonald , his Dad and my late Mum would not buy Campells soup . we (ME and my brother / sister and cousins all told Never trust a Cambell . i however visit Glencoe often great place .
I am an Englishman who served in a Hjghland Regiment for five years,my Wife was a MacDonald and even today there is still a lot of resenment over the Glencoe Massacre.
Finnaly someone else that understands what happened. Im fed up of the McDonalds been treated like martyrs. The campbells have protected Scotland since they helped Robert the Bruce defeat the English in the first war of independence.
Ronnie Browne's harmonies are incredible
Brilliant song. The Gaels of Scotland and Ireland share such a sad history.
Leave your Irish angst at home.
We lived in the north of Scotland and often travelled through those glenco mountains, to visit family , it was , to me anyway , very very quiet ! Just sad, not creepy just dreadfully sad !
Growing up in Scotland we were not taught Scottish History in schools! It was all about the English, not a Royalist didn’t do much for me ! I didn’t live far from Culloden yet never knew of that History until I was an adult ! I never got to visit it either
Funnily enough I’ve learned more about Scottish History since emigrating here!
We were Lowlanders, Now more and more in Scotland gladly wear the kilt and celebrate our Scottish History !
I am a MacDonald, from the macDonnells of Glengarry,my grandfather was a MacDonald of Glaster in that part of the highlands,the whole thing was political and old scores got settled,in the song King William is villified as having actually signed the document that led to the attack,not the case.Sir John Dalrymple ,master of stair and the secretary for Scotland,he is the bad guy,he held a grudge and he was determined to get back at the MacDonalds.
They all held grudges - tribal
I am a MacDonald and proud of it. I can trace back to the slaughter. My relative was berried with no name, just Mac Donald on his headstone
we are hard to get rid of.
Ok
@@whackedfire3317 you're getting your revenge through those hamburgers
What ye are all forgetting is that the problem is not what was done (that happened often) but HOW it was done - the murderers where offered hospitality from the winter as happened in those days (still does in places) and they took it, the term "ate his salt" covers it - they then slaughtered the people who had offered this hospitality - THAT WAS THE CRIME that goes against everything the highlander stood for!
Aye. 'Slaughter under trust' was actually a crime of treason under Scottish law at the time.
exactly
Allen sinclair......It should still be.
they deserved it, if they didn't want to be killed they should have followed the law.
I'm a Campbell and I'm sorry for what my clan did
A beautiful song about a tragic event. It makes me proud to be Scottish.
@ MrLeatherbelt, if you're proud of this then really words can not describe you.
This song always hit a sad chord with me .
This song makes you really think about the terrible slaughter at Glencoe. Those poor souls.
For thosr that dont understand the meaning or the basis behind this song...the single best Point of reference for you young types is the House of Frey in Game of Thrones.
Its an unforgiveable Folly to shed blood in the house where you have borken bread together, whether hosts killing guests or vice versa...and many would damn the name of the offending house forever. The sanctity and hospitality of home should never be desecrated.
Cryogenius333 ....
beautiful Scottish people.
Really all of Scottish history is on some game of thrones shit. Martin drew a lot of inspiration from events in Scottish history
Just like to say thanks to the uploader for the song and the collection...luv it..
BTW i thought ya know i just to say that i think ppl should keep their bigitry comments to theirselves. Come on enough is enough. My partner is from Glasgow and im from London. We are both proud of who we are and wher we came from. Leave the past in the past.
This song always moves me. My mother's family are MacDonalds.
Lindsay Ross played the Massacre of Glencoe as the bridal waltz at our wedding, till someone told him it was a Campbell wedding, has anyone else tried waltzing to Maries Wedding?
King William bears direct responsibility for this massacre. That shocks me as much as the people who carried it out.
a most beautiful song!
Great tune
There is a lot of tripe talked about the Campbells and the MacDonalds. My Campbell forebears were hereditary bodyguards to the MacDonell Chief of Keppoch and our closest friends were the MacDonalds of GlenCoe. On the night of the massacre, the only point of the compass open to the survivors was North, so they skirted Loch Leven and headed to Roy Bridge where they were fed and housed by my ancestors. When the GlenCoe MacDonalds turned up at Culloden, they were told they were too small in number to be an independent regiment and would have to attach themselves to a larger outfit. They chose the Glenlyon Campbells. 'nuff said.
It was a small museum in Glencoe, when I visited it, twenty years ago, it was inscribes: "Opened to any but forbade to the Campbells." It is really horrible the manner of which the MacDonalds were wiped out on this place and I regret how some boys of my clan were at sides of the Campbells.
grand video to go with a great song-miss The Corries
slan,
Jim
A thought provoking song that shames the Clan and perpetrator of the henious crime. On visiting the area have been reminded that the animosity still runs deep to this day. Or does it?
"Raped" in this video means "seized". It comes from the Latin word "Rapio/Rapere" which means "to seize". It does NOT mean the other thing...
Glencoe was not our finest hour. Brought shame to our good name. My kids are learning about this event at school and can't believe their ancestors did such a thing.
+alex campbell No intended disrespect toward any modern human by this comment. Not many fine hours in Englands' history with the Celts. Most of it is of torture, starvation, and murder on a repetitive cycle. Nasty history we have, and I'm very glad to hear that your children are repulsed by this portion of history as it shows they are learning from others mistakes, and if they continue on said course, I am sure that they will retain themselves as wonderful people in adulthood. :)
+Celtic Fiddler Not to let the English establishment off too lightly, but this notorious incident was the result of planning by Scottish nobles and was put into action after being approved by the king of Scotland, Ireland and England, who was a Dutchman. No English involvement as far as I know, much like many of the most notorious incidents of Scotland's history. We've actually often been pretty good at killing each other without English involvement.
Alistair Thompson
Thank you for the clarification. I was ignorant to the specific details of said event, but was speaking in generalities. I am fairly ignorant to the finer details of Scottish history because my ancestry is Irish, yet sympathize greatly toward any nation that has been crippled in past time by the English/British. God knows my family would be far better off financially and our bloodline would stretch much further if not for the repetitive murder, slavery, and exile of my ancestral family.
Then again, that may be partially my families fault, because we have this tendency to continually show loyalty toward upright politics, yet will not hesitate to give our lives for a better cause. Hard headed bunch we are. O'hi'omhair by name if one needs. Also for interesting conversation, my great great great great great great ect grandfather was the last pagan monarch in Ireland. WOOHOO! :P
+Celtic Fiddler Well, I think governments in general tend to be at least suspicious & at worst openly hostile towards elements that they consider to be opposed to them & the British government has historically been no exception to this rule.
As far as these islands are concerned, the main thing which has helped to reduce the arbitrary power of governments has been the gradual though far from constant increase in democracy in Britain (not so much for Ireland, which was always governed separately and unfairly, even after the Union of 1801) over the last few centuries.
Tempting as it may be, rising in rebellion against governments, British, Scottish, American or otherwise, always results in terrible retribution against the rebels. Only very rarely do rebels win outright despite the reprisals and hence become revolutionaries. More often than not attempts to subvert the status quo through violence ultimately fail and consequently most of these attempts are not remembered.
There have been countless rebellions in British & Irish history for example but only very few of them are remembered. Actually in this case I think it would probably be fair to say that the terrible retribution that followed the rebellion is better remembered than the events of the rebellion itself. I don't think I'm exaggerating when I say that far more people have heard of the Massacre of Glencoe than have heard of Killiecrankie, not to mention the almost-forgotten Battle of Dunkeld.
The concurrent events over in Ireland at the Boyne etc. of course are commemorated every year, although hardly ever in a balanced manner and the main people who commemorate the events prefer to celebrate the forces loyal to the government rather than the rebels. Oddly enough, that government itself came to power in a largely bloodless revolution (it was a coup really) - bloodless that is until rebellions loyal to the old king broke out in Ireland & Scotland and were violently suppressed.
Alistair Thompson
I agree that rebellion, even when it is for the best, usually is not worth the loss that is at costs. Governments indeed are corrupt beyond measure because fickle men run them, and men have a tendency to be persuaded by monetary gain. As for rebellion, look at the American Civil War. How many wars has America been in since the Civil War? The United States of America have still not surpassed the death toll of the Civil War with all it's other wars death tolls combined, so you make a very easily verifiable statement. Why can't all men just be good and honest to their neighbor?
@Grouter12 I am from clan MacMillan. I live in the U.S. I remember my grandfather telling me when I was a little boy to never trust a Campbell. I remember him speaking Gaelic to my Grandmother when I was very small, and wondered where he learned to speak this foreign tongue. It is only recently that I have come to appreciate my heritage and to learn the history of my ancestors that migrated from Scotland to Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. This song is a reminder of my grandfathers words.
My Campbell grandfather spoke Gaelic.
There is a joke that is told in Cape Breton Island about the massacre. A MacDonald walks into the Whycocomagh Legion and goes over and punches a Campbell in the mouth. The Campbell says What was that for?, the MacDonald says for Glencoe. The Campbell says that 400 years ago, the MacDonald says I only heard about it last night.
Glencoe is one of the most beautiful places you will ever see, it’s a shame that it’s stained with blood
Me listening to the chords of the song: :D
Me listening to the words of the song: D:
Have been there in the 70's. Strange dark feeling, but I can't help loving the music.
been a Corrie fan since 1965 when I worked the Limes (Spotlights) at the Caley Picture House Edinburgh at their Festival shows thanks for bringing back many happy memories....
Just came back from visiting Glenco in the highlands. What a great song to listen to as one stands where it all happened. So, so sad.
It was not the 'Campbell clan' who were sent. It was the Earl of Argyll's Regiment of Foot, regular soldiers not a clan militia. Very few of them actually bore the Campbell name. The leader was Captain Robert Campbell of Glenlyon, an unpleasant character, but strong MacDonald tradition suggests that the Campbell soldiers warned many in good time. Again, according to tradition, the family of Campbell of Airds at Castle Stalker helped many of the fugitives.
This is true a lot of mcdonalds were forewarned it was not Campbell clan fund it was a late oath there is a henderson stone at glencoe as I am related to both families
I think I remember reading that.
One of my favorite songs to sing
I just knew this story when i came to live to Scotland a few months ago. I think that i dont know all the details but i think that its pretty beautiful that someone sings about these kind of stories. In my country this is bery unusual and i really love this kind of things
welcome to scotia