Massacre of Glencoe

Timeline

1. 1691–1692Fort William to Inveraray · HighlandsWilliam's government offered pardons in exchange for Highland clans swearing loyalty to William and Mary before New Year 1692, with military punishment for latecomers. MacIain reached Fort William on Dec 31, but officials refused to accept the oath for lack of authority, sending him to Inveraray. After delays from snow, he completed the oath on Jan 6. John Dalrymple (Master of Stair) in Edinburgh still listed him for punishment, intending to make an example.
2. c. 1692Settlements of Glencoe valley · HighlandsAbout 120 men of the Argyll Regiment led by Robert Campbell of Glenlyon quartered in MacDonald households under pretext of collecting military tax and awaiting orders, receiving food and lodging for about two weeks. On Feb 12, Campbell received orders to 'root out' all males under seventy at dawn and block escape routes. The order came through the superior military chain of command, citing authority to exterminate clans refusing the oath.
3. 1692Glencoe · HighlandsAt dawn on Feb 13, soldiers fired on their hosts inside the houses where they had been quartered and set fires. MacIain was killed; about 38 died on the spot. The planned blocking force failed to arrive in time, and some clanspeople fled into the storm, with many more freezing or starving to death. News of the event drew condemnation in Highlands and Lowlands for 'killing the host under hospitality'. A 1695 Scottish parliamentary inquiry held Dalrymple chiefly responsible, but William imposed no severe punishment, and the affair became a moral stain on Whig rule.