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HELLO...The Massacre of Glencoe (Scottish Gaelic: Murt Ghlinne Comhann) took place in Glen Coe in the Highlands of Scotland on 13 February 1692. An estimated 30 members and associates of Clan MacDonald of Glencoe were killed by Scottish government forces, allegedly for failing to pledge allegiance to the new monarchs, William III and Mary II.

Although the Jacobite rising of 1689 was no longer a serious threat by May 1690, unrest continued in the remote Highlands which consumed resources needed for the Nine Years' War in Flanders. In late 1690, the Scottish government agreed to pay the Jacobite clan chiefs a total of ｣12,000 in return for swearing an oath of loyalty to William and Mary; however, disagreements over how to divide the money meant by December 1691 none of them had taken the oath.

Under pressure from William, Secretary of State Lord Stair decided to make an example as a warning of the consequences for further delay. The Glencoe MacDonalds were not the only ones who failed to meet the deadline, as the Keppoch MacDonalds did not swear until early February. The reason for their selection is still debated, but appears to have been a combination of internal clan politics, and a reputation for lawlessness that made them an easy target.

While there are examples of similar events in Scottish history, the brutality of the massacre shocked contemporaries. It became a significant element in the persistence of Jacobitism in the Highlands during the first half of the 18th century, and remains a powerful symbol for a variety of reasons. WIKI SOURCE