|
Ewan J. Innes, MA(Hons Scot. Hist.) FSA Scot
© 1991
Synopsis: This essay describes the political situation in the Highlands during the late seventeenth century and the internal and external conflicts and influences that shaped the nature of politics in the Highlands.
Please see my copyright policy if you wish to cite any part of this essay.
| 1
| 2
| Bibliography
| Printer Friendly |
The end of the Lauderdale regime in 1679 was also to see the fall of the house of
Argyll yet again. When James Duke of York took control of Scottish politics, he sought to
change its face and mould it to his own designs, the Highlands were to be no exception.
The power of Argyll was curbed, he lost the rights to some of his judicial powers and
feudal superiorities. The MacLean debts were paid off in order to quell the simmering
unrest between the two clans. In order to improve law and order the four great families in
the area, Huntly, Atholl, Argyll and Seaforth, were given control in their particular
districts.
The implementation of the Test Act in 1681 was to provide for the demise of Argyll. An
oath of loyalty to the Protestant church but with a catholic as its head was added to the
original act by James, Argyll was openly scathing of this and this was to be his downfall.
Within the year Argyll fled to the Netherlands and James was free for the first time to
attempt a new Highland policy. He began this by granting out Argyll's lands to the 'loyal
clans'. This policy could and did backfire on the clans however if Argyll was to return to
power.
In 1682 an attempt was made to deal with the problem of lawlessness in the Highlands
which earlier policies had conspicuously failed to address or solve. The setting up of a
Commission of Highland Justiciary, with the lairds and chiefs taking precedence over the
magnates was an attempt to bypass the dispensation of justice from Campbell justiciars.
It had limited success but did help to stem the rising tide of lawlessness. It aimed to
put curbs on the carrying of arms- any Highlander carrying a firearm had to have a pass to
travel more than seven miles from his home. Cattle raiding was curbed through the use of
troops- although it may be that the reivers simply moved further into the interior until
the heat was off.
In 1685 Argyll attempted a simultaneous invasion with Monmouth. It was a complete
disaster, even failing to raise the majority of his clansmen. He pressed on and was
captured at Glasgow and martyred for the Protestant cause. This collapse gave new life to
anti-Campbell feeling and the relative peace that had existed in the Highlands was broken,
it became as uncontrollable as ever for the government.
The flight of James to France in December 1688 was to see the opening of another
chapter in the politics of the Highlands. It was to be the return of the 10th Earl of
Argyll from his exile which would cause an explosion in the Highlands. The rising of
Viscount Claverhouse in 1689 was fundamentally an anti-Campbell rising. Locheil and the
chiefs of the MacLeans and MacDonalds saw themselves as being under threat. The MacLeans
would face ruin at the hands of the Campbells, Locheil would lose his new estates and with
Clanranald being exposed to Campbell debt, superiorities and jurisdictions once again they
saw their only option as being an open attack on them. The rising however, was to be
carried out under the banner of James VII, with the hope of help from James who was
campaigning in Ireland.
The decisive battle was at Killiecrankie on July 27th 1689 when Dundee met the
government forces under MacKay. In a short but very bloody battle, some 600 Highlanders
killed out of a total of 2000, and approximately 2000 government soldiers from their
larger force of 4000 men. Dundee's rising was however, effectively ended in the last
minutes of the battle when a stray bullet left him dying on the field.
The victory at Killiecrankie saw the usual increase in support for the rising. It had
however, lost its initial impetus under uninspired leadership when at Dunkeld after a four
hour engagement between the Highlanders and a body of Cameronians the Highlanders
withdrew. The final decisive end was to be the defeat at Cromdale in May 1690.
The Williamite government saw the Highland problem with new eyes yet settled for the
simplest policy it reckoned it could get away with. Yet again it involved trying to tie
individual chiefs to the government by oath. This policy was advocated by Breadalbane who
was made Highland commissioner in 1691. He attempted in a meeting with the leading
Jacobite chiefs at Achallader to pacify the Highlands once and for all.
The principle was to be threefold. Firstly the chiefs would receive cash according to
their status. Secondly, superiorities would be bought out, thereby eliminating that source
of the general problems in the Highlands. Lastly an oath of loyalty to William was to be
sworn by January 1 1692. The Jacobite chiefs asked to be allowed to write and get
permission from James, to take the oath. This was late in arriving due to James dithering
on the continent. MacIain of Glencoe having received permission set off for Fort William
in time only to find that he should be Inverary sixty miles to the south. He left Fort
William as the weather worsened, was arrested en route, and finally got to Inverary to
find that the sheriff was not there. He was finally able to take the oath on the 6th of
January.
The target for the Williamite government had been Glengarry, however it would have
taken a major military campaign to have had any effect due to the strategic fastnesses of
his lands. Glencoe on the other hand was a deathtrap, and a much softer target. MacIains
oath was deleted from the records and letters of fire and sword were sent out by Dalrymple
to extirpate the MacIains'.
By the end of January all was ready, detailed orders had been issued and a detachment
of government troops under Glenlyon marched into Glencoe and were billeted there for the
next two weeks. At 5am on the 13th of February the troops moved against their hosts and
thirty eight MacDonalds were killed including MacIain himself. The other members of the
clan fled into the snows, with many perishing as they made their escape.
Glencoe is not an isolated example of the Williamite government, having lost control in
the Highlands, seeking to use the mailed fist rather than the velvet glove. In May 1690
there had been a savage attack on Eigg by a naval force engaged in attacks on the Inner
Isles. The differences here are that the men were away at the time of the attack on Eigg,
with rape as well as murder being carried out. Moreover there was an effective cover up in
this instance, which was never to be the case with Glencoe.
Glencoe was to have a lasting effect on Highland politics, with the Campbells forever
becoming synonymous with the massacre, while Clanranald were to become the focus of
Jacobite activity. This was to last through the Jacobite revolts of the eighteenth century
to 1746.
It is clear that Highland politics from 1660 until 1700 were if anything confused by
economic, as well as the personal grievances and self interest of the clan chiefs. As to
whether the situation was inherently unstable I would argue against this on the principle
that it was a relatively stable structure until in an attempt to civilise the Highlands
the government interfered. This meant that with clans like the Campbells being given
almost free rein, the feudal structure was put under ever increasing pressure which was to
eventually destroy it. The policy followed by all of the clans, but more especially the
Campbells of buying up debts and superiorities was the main cause of the instability as it
blurred the issue of land ownership so creating unnecessary squabbles and meant that
neighbouring clans were put under increasing pressure which could and occasionally did to
warfare.
Economically the famines which hit the Highlands in the late 1690's were simply an end
to a generally declining situation. The west Highlands were falling further behind the
rest of the country with the Eastern and Southern Highlands becoming more drawn into the
sphere of their neighbours in the lowlands. This inevitably led to an increase in
lawlessness and cattle raiding.
W.R. Kermack suggests that the "origins of many conflicts were economic rather
than personal".2 This is I think only a half truth as there were many and varied
reasons for the conflict and many of these undoubtably were personal, primarily Campbell
against MacLean and MacDonald.
Ewan Innes, November 21 1991
| 1
| 2
| Bibliography
| Printer Friendly |
|
