Day Sixteen Part Three: No Dogs, No Tinkers, No Campbells

One of my absolute favorite places that we stopped on our trip up into the Scottish Highlands was the Weeping Glen of Glen Coe, one of the most spectacularly beautiful places in all of Scotland.
The scenery here reminded me so strongly of Alaska, with it's lush green colors and craggy, high mountains, with the tops obscured by mist. (I'm sure the fact that it was freezing contributed as well). It was eery, and haunting, and so mystical that had an entire host of legendary creatures appeared I might have remained unsurprised.

The reason it is called the 'Weeping Glen' is because of the Masssacre of Glen Coe that occurred in 1692.

'On 27 August 1691, King William of Orange, the new English king, offered all Highland clans a pardon for their part in the Jacobite Uprising, as long as they took an oath of allegiance before 1 January 1692 in front of a magistrate and threatened them with reprisals if they did not sign.'

Due to harsh weather conditions, the chief of Can MacDonald was late to make signing deadline, but was assured no reprisals would follow as he had acted in good faith. Due to rivalry, bad blood, ambition, and a host of other political and personal reasons, there was issued, in effect, an 'extermination order' for Clan MacDonald, to be carried out by the milita of Clan Campbell. However, in this nation soaked with the blood of many battles, what makes the Massacre of Glen Coe stand out among all battles as a most heinous crime is that the militia of Clan Campbell were billeted with the MacDonalds. They were sleeping under their roofs, and eating their bread. Then, having accepted highland hospitality, they arose in the morning and slew their unsuspecting hosts in their beds, men, women and children, burning the houses behind them. (If this is not enough of the fascinating story for you, you can read more about it here on wikipedia! ) They say you can hear the cries and despairing wails of the women still today in the sound of the wind. Watch the film I took and decide for yourself.

It is from this terrible bit of history that the Scottish saying comes "Never Trust a Campbell," apparently a phrase commonly in use today. Although, to be fair, many of the men involved in doing the massacring were from a wide variety of Scottish clans, not just the Campbells.  However, it was the dark treachery of the Campbells that conspired to instigate the massacre in the first place. In fact, to this day in this part of the Scottish highlands it is not uncommon for pubs, inns and places of business to hang a sign that reads "No dogs, No Tinkers, No Campbells."