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ABOVE his plan shows the structures S located during the recent in estigations, as well as the enclosures and kiln, and the place ent of the trenches Structure was exca ated in full floor survives over quite an extensive area just below the turf, suggesting that it had become overgrown and hidden before the robbing – otherwise it too surely would have been stripped out.

That is not to say that we cannot say anything about the building’s layout, however. From what does survive, it appears that the ‘house’ was 10.5m long internally, west to east, by 4m wide. As no external facing stones survived in situ, we do not know the exact width and form of the walls – although the two surviving segments at the eastern end do not appear particularly wellbuilt or substantial – but it seems likely that they would have been 0.8-1.0m wide, with at least a foundation of stone. Moreover, the incorporation of a large squarish boulder close to the north-west corner might suggest the construction was of very random rubble rather than neat courses.

Inside Structure 1, surviving evidence suggests that there was a paved central passageway leading ffice

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The Glencoe Massacre

In 1691, following his successful invasion of England and the deposition of the Catholic king James II and VII, William of range William in ngland, William in Scotland demanded that all Highland clan chiefs, many of whom had been staunch for the Stuart cause, should sign an oath of allegiance to him by 1 January 1692 – or face punishment as traitors under the ‘utmost extremity of the law’.

Being already sworn to the exiled James, MacIain – clan chief of the Glencoe MacDonalds – delayed signing the oath until he was released from his bond by a messenger arriving on 28 December. With three days before the deadline, MacIain set out to fulfil the obligation, but difficulty travelling and the absence of the sheriff required to receive his oath meant that he did not sign until 6 January. Although MacIain believed that his oath had been accepted and his clan was now safe, it was decided to make an example of his community, who were considered to be lawless troublemakers, frequently raiding their neighbours and rustling cattle, and who had few powerful supporters.

Around 120 soldiers – many of them from the Campbell clan, longstanding rivals of the MacDonalds – were sent to Glencoe in late January, where they were ‘quartered’ by the villagers, given bed and board in accordance with traditions of hospitality, for almost two weeks. On 12 February, however, the troops received orders to ‘fall upon the rebels… and put all to the sword under 0’. he slaughter began in the early hours of the following morning, as a blinding blizzard swept through the glen. At least 30 were killed, including MacIain, while more are thought to have died of exposure after eeing into the snowy hills.

This ‘murder under trust’ outraged popular opinion and damaged the reputations both of William II and III and of the Campbell clan – to this day, the Clachaig Inn in Glencoe has a sign on its door saying ‘No hawkers or Campbells’. A memorial to the MacDonald victims, in the form of a cairn topped by a towering Celtic cross, was erected in the village in 1883.

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46

Current Archaeology

SEPTEMBER 2021