History of the Loch Leven

Loch Leven has played host to many significant events in Scottish history – not least the imprisonment of Mary Queen of Scots in Loch Leven Castle. Robert the Bruce, heroic King of Scotland, also visited the area.

However, the event which most shaped the history of Loch Leven was the infamous Massacre of Glencoe in 1692.

In 1691, King William III issued an order that all clan chiefs should sign an oath of allegiance by 1st January 1692. Maclain of Glencoe delayed signing the order for as long as he could – until 31st December 1692. However, when he arrived in Fort William ready to sign, Maclain found that he had to immediately leave for Inveraray. Various factors intervened, and Maclain was unable to sign the order until January 6th. However, secure in the belief that his signature had been accepted, he returned to Glencoe and the MacDonald clan.

Meanwhile, it was decided to punish Maclain. Campbell of Glenlyon led a group of 128 soldiers who stayed with the MacDonalds with good grace for several days. However, in the early morning of 13th February the soldiers turned on their hosts and massacred nearly 40 of the clan.

A monument to the massacred MacDonalds still stands in Glencoe village.