'I met the Devil and Dundee
On the braes o' Killiecrankie, O'
(Traditional song)

If you want to find out more about the 1689 Jacobite Rebellion and Killiecrankie, read on here.

Killiecrankie and the First Jacobite Rising
The Convention Parliament
On 4 April 1689 the Convention Parliament in Edinburgh voted that James VII and II should no longer be king and that his nephew William of Orange should take his place as had been decided in England. James's supporters - Jacobites - opposed this.

Viscount Dundee
The Jacobite rebellion in Scotland was led by General John Graham of Claverhouse, Viscount Dundee (1648-89). He rode out of Edinburgh with 50 followers and raised King James's banner on Dundee Law on 16 April.
Viscount Dundee was an ambitious soldier who had fought in the Dutch service alongside William, but had returned to Scotland. In the late 1670s-80s he campaigned in the South West against the rebel Covenanters (radical Presbyterians, some of whom wanted a republic). The nicknamed him 'Bluidy Clavers'. In the Highlands, where he raised much of his Jacobite army, he was 'Iain Dubh nan Cath' - Black John of the Battles, because of his long black hair. He was a very short, handsome man. After his death a poem called him 'Bonnie Dundee' but it was Sir Walter Scott's song to a tune about the town Bonnie Dundee which made this name for him popular in the nineteenth century.

Dundee raises an army
Dundee first went up into the north east then around the Highlands, collecting an army. By mid July he had about 1,800 men. Some were Lowlanders, his Graham relatives, Halyburton of Pitcur, the Earl of Dunfermline, who owned Fyvie Castle, the Earl of Buchan,Viscount Fendraught and some Gordons. There were also several Highland chiefs with their men: the MacDonalds of Keppoch (who decided to attack the Mackintoshes on the way), of Glencoe, of Sleat and of Clanranald; Stewart of Appin; MacLean of Duart; Cameron of Lochiel, Robertson of Struan and some MacGregors. Blair Castle, the Duke of Atholl's home was seized for the Jacobites by the Duke's factor, Patrick Steuart, while the Duke was in Bath, taking the waters for his health. 300 Irishmen arrived under Colonel Alexander Cannon; Dundee had expected more but King James was in trouble in the war in Ireland and these were all he could spare.

General Mackay
A government army was already on Dundee's trail. It was led by General Hugh Mackay of Scourie (c1640-92), a Highlander from Sutherland. He was a stout, cheerful looking man who had spent many years with the Scots Brigade in the Netherlands. He had served with Dundee when he too had been a young officer in Dutch service. Mackay's army was made up of three battalions of the Scots Brigade, but they were reduced in numbers. There were also Kenmure's and Leven's Regiments, Lauder's Fusiliers and one English regiment, Hastings. There were 2 cavalry troops, Belhavens and Annandales. Altogether Mackay had about 4,000 men - but most of them were new recruits who had not been in battle before.

The Battle of Killiecrankie
Both armies made for Blair Castle. The Jacobites got there first, at night on 26 July. They decided to attack Mackay's army the next day and not wait for any more reinforcements, although they were outnumbered. Mackay led his troops out of Dunkeld on the morning of 27 July into the Pass of Killiecrankie. There had been a lot of rain so the River Garry was running high and fast, and the narrow track was muddy and dangerous. It is said that the first man killed was a cavalryman, shot by a Jacobite sniper, Iain Beag Ban MacRath (Little Fair John MacRae). The place where he died is still called Trooper's Den. Dundee had lined up his Jacobites on the slope of Craig Eallaich above the river. They had the advantage of being able to charge downhill which might make up for them being fewer in number than the government army. But they had to wait until dusk because the sun was in their eyes.

Mackay placed his army on the open ground, near a house which was then called Raon Ruairidh but is now Urrard House, behind them was the river. 2 hours passed with only a little cannon fire from the government side, and a skirmish between the men of Colonel James Mackay (the General's brother) and some Camerons. When the sun began to set, between 7 and 8pm, Dundee ordered the charge. The Highlanders had thrown off their plaids and knotted their shirts between their legs so that they could run faster. The government troops fired but before they could fix their plug bayonets into their muskets, the Highlanders were down upon them, shooting at point blank range and using broadswords. The sound of gunfire was replaced by the hacking of swords. Many of the army recruits fled for their lives. Others were cut to pieces. James Mackay was killed as was Brigadier General Barthold Balfour of the Scots Brigade from the Netherlands. The Balfour Stone marks where he fell, and may also be buried.

Some government soldiers drowned in the River Garry as they tried to escape. Donald MacBean was lucky. When he was being chased by a Jacobite he put down his hat and his gun, and jumped 18 feet (about 5.5m) right across the river - losing only one shoe. The place where he jumped is called the Soldier's Leap. General Mackay gathered what was left of his army - Levens and Hastings Regiments, and some of the horse. At least a third of his men had been killed and several hundred taken prisoner. He led the survivors to the castle of Menzies of Weem, near Aberfeldy, where they were able to rest.

But despite their victory the Jacobites were in trouble. Early in the battle as Viscount Dundee urged on his cavalry, a bullet had hit him in the side. He died on the battlefield. Some of the Highlanders stripped his body during the night. Next day, wrapped in two plaids, he was taken to Blair for burial. Colonel Cannon took command in his place. He was not a good general and the Highlanders did not respect him. Mackay said he spent all his time drinking with Lord Dunfermline. And so, though they had won the battle, the Jacobites were already on their way to losing the rebellion.

What happened next?
On 21 August 1689, Colonel Cannon led more than 3,000 Jacobites to attack the burgh of Dunkeld, held by only 800 government troops. But those troops were a new regiment: the Earl of Angus's Regiment, better known as the Cameronians - Covenanters from the South West named after Reverend Richard Cameron, killed in 1680. In King James's reign they had been the rebels hunted by Dundee and his dragoons. Their Lieutenant Colonel, William Cleland as a teenager had fought Dundee at Drumclog in 1679. Cameronians and Jacobites were the deadliest of enemies.

In a bloody 4 hour battle, they fought from house to house. Much of the town centre was burned. 28 year old Colonel Cleland was mortally wounded, but his men held out until the exhausted Jacobites went away. On 1 May 1690 General Buchan, Cannon's successor as Jacobite commander, was defeated at the Haugh's of Cromdale, effectively ending the rebellion in Scotland.

Alisdair MacIain MacDonald of Glencoe, a fierce giant in his 60s, had cut a dashing figure at Killiecrankie with his spiked moustache and brass blunderbuss. Although educated in Paris he had a bad reputation as a local warlord and bandit chief. After Killiecrankie he raided Campbell territories nearer home and burned Achallader Castle. He paid heavily for his part in the rebellion.

In August 1691 a pardon was offered to all rebels if they took the oath of loyalty to King William by 1 January 1692. Alisdair left it to the very last moment, and ended up taking the oath 5 days late. The King and the Secretary of State, Lord Stair, decided to make an example of him and his clan. 2 companies of soldiers were billeted on them apparently to keep them in order. 10 days later the soldiers received written commands to kill every MacDonald under the age of 70: over 300 people. But only 38 people, including Alisdair and his wife, were killed. A number of others died of cold after escaping into the mountains. The Chief's sons and grandson survived although their family had been the main target. The Glencoe Massacre of 13 February 1692 was a government operation NOT a clan feud with the Campbells. Only about a dozen - less than a tenth - of the soldiers were Campbells and they were acting on government orders. Alisdair's eldest son, John, was pardoned and allowed to inherit.

General Hugh Mackay was involved in setting up a fort at Inverlochy, later called Fort William in honour of the King. He also fought at Aughrim against the Jacobites in Ireland. He then returned to the Netherlands, fighting for the Dutch against the French. He was killed in the battle of Steinkirk on 24 July 1692, aged about 52.

Jean Cochrane, Lady Dundee, was left a widow with a baby son James who died in December 1689 aged nine months. Jean remarried and went to the Netherlands where she and her new husband had a son. Sadly she and the baby were killed in 1695 when the roof collapsed at the inn where they were staying.

Did you know?
How Dundee kept his hair in curls?
He wore curlers. A servant girl at a Highland inn saw him in his room with his greying dark hair in curlers made of soft lead, twisted around the ends. Seventeenth century gentlemen were very fashion conscious, those who did not have naturally flowing locks wore curled wigs.

Why Mackay's men had so much trouble with their bayonets?
They were using plug bayonets, which had to be stuck down the musket barrel. This meant that once a soldier had put the bayonet in, he could not load and fire the gun again without taking it out. Also, in the time it took for him to fit the bayonet he could easily be attacked by a broadsword wielding Highlander for example. The socket bayonet which allowed the musket to be fired with the bayonet attached was already being used by the French and the British army later adopted it.

The legend of the silver bullet
The Covenanters hated 'Bluidy Clavers' so much they said he was in league with the Devil. So the legend grew up that, like a werewolf or monster, he could only be killed with a silver bullet. They said that the bullet which killed him was a silver button which a soldier had used instead of a lead ball, but this is just a story.

The hole in Dundee's breastplate is not the fatal bullet hole.
Dundee's breastplate is at Blair Castle. It is very small and has a hole in the front. But the hole was not caused by the bullet that killed him, he was hit in the side when he had his arm raised - so the shot did not actually go through the armour. The hole was added in later times for dramatic effect.

• NTS at Killiecrankie
  Pitlochry
  Perth and Kinross
  PH16 5LG

  Visitor Centre: tel: 01796 473233
  Ranger Office: 01350 728641

  B8907 (Old A9) 3 miles north of Pitlochry
  National Cycle Route 7
  Bus: Elizabeth Yule from Pitlochry tel: 01796 47290
  Parking available

  The Visitor Centre had displays on the battle, natural history and Ranger Services; text in Danish, French, Gaelic, German, Italian, Japanese and Swedish.
  There are woodland and riverside trails. The year round Ranger service offers guided walks in summer. Special events for schools include interactive drama about the battle. The site has a shop, snackbar and picnic facilities. Publications are available, with guidebooks in English, French, German and also Braille for the visually impaired.
  Toilets are wheelchair accessible.
  Open: Site -All year, daily
  Visitor Centre, shop and snackbar - 1 April (or Good Friday if earlier) to 31 October, daily 10am -5.30p.m.
  Cost £1 per person

• Dunkeld - the town where Mackay's army spent the night before Killiecrankie, largely rebuilt after the siege in August 1689.
  The Ell Shop
  The Cross
  Dunkeld
  Perth and Kinross PH8 0AN
  Tel: 01350 727460

• Fyvie Castle - Home of Dundee's ally James Seton, fourth Earl of Dunfermline.
  Fyvie
  Turiff
  Aberdeenshire AB53 8JS
  Tel: 01651 891266

• Glencoe - site of the government massacre of Chief Alisdair MacIain and about 37 other MacDonalds in 1692.
  NTS Visitor Centre
  Glencoe
  Ballachulish
  Highland PA39 4HX
  Tel: 01855 811307 or 01855 811729 (summer only)