Glencoe Massacre: Extraordinary finds made at house where shots fired

Fresh light has been shed on the Massacre of Glencoe with the excavation of a house where a late-night party was being held as shots were fired through the window during the atrocity.

Excavations by the University of Glasgow and National Trust for Scotland have unearthed a series of finds at the township of Achnacon, including the remains of the turf-walled house of senior clansman, MacDonald of Achnacon.

There, he hosted a party where guests drank and gambled into the early hours of February 13 1692. They were violently interrupted at 5am as a volley of shots from government troops tore through the windows and doors, killing several inside.

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A scatter of 17th Century bronze coins found at the site now raises the possibility for archaeologists that they were proceeds of that night’s gambling session.

Meanwhile, a bent plaid pin and two pieces of lead musket balls could be traces of the escape of MacDonald of Achnacon, archaeologists now believe.

German and French pottery, decorated knife handles, loom weights for weaving, shoe buckles and broken tobacco pipes were also found nearby, making a “profoundly personal” connection to those who lived in the township at the time of the massacre, said Dr Edward Stewart, Excavations Co-Director of the University of Glasgow.

Dr Eddie Stewart, of the University of Glasgow, pictured holding the bent plaid pin which was discovered close to the turf-walled house where a party of clansmen came under fire as the Massacre of Glencoe unfolded. PIC: Michael Given. | Michael Given

Dr Stewart, who has just finished his PhD at the university, added: “By exploring these dwellings and the archaeology of Glencoe, we are able to build a richer understanding, not only of the tragic events of the 1692 Massacre, but also the everyday lives of those who lived and worked in Glencoe in the 17th and 18th centuries.

“Recent discoveries – both in Achnacon this year and the Summerhouse of MacIain in 2023 – allow us to connect with the people who once called this glen ‘home’ in a profoundly personal way.

“We’re not just uncovering the grand events of history, but the individual human stories that were so painfully disrupted. These help to give intimate insights into the lives and livelihoods, diets, beliefs and experiences of those who lived in this landscape over 300 years ago.”

Those killed at the turf-walled house include MacDonald of Achtriochtan, the brother of the host.

He was one of an estimated 38 members of Clan MacDonald of Glencoe killed during the atrocity, with Clan Chief Alasdair Ruadh “MacIain” MacDonald and his wife among the victims.

MacDonald of Achnacon survived and was taken outside the turfhouse to be shot by the government soldiers.

However, as they prepared to fire, he tore off his plaid cloak, threw this over his attackers, and fled off into the winter morning darkness.

Alongside the relics found within the ruins of a 17th Century dwelling, the team’s landscape surveys have helped to paint a picture of the deep, generations-long relationship between the inhabitants of Achnacon and their environment.

Derek Alexander, Head of Archaeology at the National Trust for Scotland, the conservation charity which cares for the Glencoe National Nature Reserve, said the better-preserved historic sites lie further into the glen away from the modern village at the lochside.

“Step by step we are gaining a better understanding of where and how people lived in the glen and enabling visitors today to engage in new ways with the landscape.”

The Glencoe Archaeology Project will resume its excavations at Achnacon in June 2025.