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The Secret of St. Andrews podcast is for golf enthusiasts, history buffs and patriots.
Episode 3, the Glencoe massacre. In the shadowed glens of the Scottish Highlands, where the rugged peaks of the mountains meet the icy chill of the winter air, a tale of treachery and bloodshed unfolded that would sear itself into the annals of history. This is the story of the Glencoe massacre, a dark episode that would forever influence the Jacobite cause and the hearts of those who yearned for the return of their exiled king. It was the year 1692, and the political landscape of Scotland was as tumultuous as its terrain. The Glorious Revolution had seen the Catholic king James the second deposed, replaced by his protestant daughter Mary and her husband, William of Orange.
Narrator:In the Highlands, loyalty to the Stuart line ran deep, and the Jacobite spirit, supporting James' claim to the throne simmered beneath the surface of the clans. Among these clans were the McDonalds of Glencoe, led by the venerable Alastair Maclean. When the call came for all clan chiefs to swear allegiance to the new monarchs by January 1, 1692, a mix of pride and circumstance delayed Maclean. It was not until January 6th that he took the oath, but the delay would prove fatal. Under the guise of collecting taxes, a company of redcoats from the Earl of Argyle's regiment, led by captain Robert Campbell of Glenlyon, sought shelter with the McDonald's.
Narrator:For nearly 2 weeks, the soldiers shared the McDonald's hearths and tables, a gesture of hospitality sacred to the Highland code. But as the first light of February 13th crept over the snow laden peaks, a treacherous order was silently unfurled. The soldiers, who had been received as guests, turned on their hosts with steel and shot. The glen echoed with the cries of the dying as 38 McDonald's, from the elderly chief to the youngest child, were slain. Others fled into the cruel embrace of the winter where the cold claimed as many lives as the sword.
Narrator:The orders for this heinous act had come from high above. John Dalrymple, the master of stare, secretary of state for Scotland, had penned the command with King William's tacit approval. It was intended as a brutal lesson to any who would defy the crown, a warning that late allegiance was as good as none. The massacre, however, had an effect contrary to its intent. The Jacobite cause, which might have smoldered quietly, was fanned into a blaze of indignation and sorrow.
Narrator:The betrayal at Glencoe became a rallying cry, a symbol of the lengths to which the government would go to crush dissent and the depth of the treachery they were capable of. In the years that followed, the Jacobite spirit would rise in rebellion, not once, but several times as the Highlanders sought to restore the Stuart monarchy. The memory of Glencoe fueled their passion, a stark reminder of the cost of loyalty and the price of resistance. The massacre was not just an act of political suppression. It was a wound on the soul of the Highlands, a story passed down through generations that would keep the Jacobite flame burning even in the darkest of times.
Narrator:And so the massacre of Glencoe remains etched in history, a somber testament to the complexities of allegiance, the sanctity of hospitality, and the enduring struggle for the Scottish heart. Up next, the historic, bloody, and deciding battle of Culloden.