More than 50 people gathered yesterday for a poignant ceremony to mark the 325th anniversary of the Glencoe massacre.
In 1692, 38 members of the Macdonald clan were killed – some in their beds – by government soldiers. Captain Robert Campbell led the attack after the clan failed to pledge allegiance to King William in time. Dozens more perished in the freezing cold after running from the troops.
Members of Clan Donald and other clans gathered yesterday at St Mary’s Episcopal Church in Glencoe, then marched from Bridge of Coe to the memorial cross.
Secretary of Glencoe Heritage Trust, Ros MacDonald, said the church sermon was “not a sombre affair” but involved a moving description of what it must have been like for villagers at the time.
Mrs MacDonald, who has helped organise the ceremony every year since 1978, said: “I have seen people come and go since then including ministers, clans, and sometimes there was only myself and the late Duncan MacDonald Mckillop, who lived at Monument cottage. But yesterday was a really good turnout, and the church was almost full. It seems to have grown since then, and it’s possibly down to social media.
“A family of MacDonalds came up from Kirkcaldy and they’ve been coming for several years. There were also some people who came from Skye.”
Organisers represented at the ceremony were the Glencoe Heritage Trust, Clan Donald Highlands and Islands and the National Trust for Scotland.
Canon Simon Mackenzie and Canon Mel Laveille delivered the church sermon, which was also heard by pupils from Glencoe Primary School and St Bride’s Primary School, Onich.
Mrs MacDonald, whose ancestor Duncan Rankin was the first person to be slain in the massacre as he tried to warn villagers of the planned attack, added: “It’s good to see the teachers taking the children to it because we want them to remember their history.”
Following the service, piper John McCallum led the march up to the massacre cross, where a psalm was sung.
Wreaths from the organisers were laid and the wreath from the Glencoe Heritage Trust was sponsored by Janet Campbell and Jane Shave, two former Glencoe ladies.