Latest / The Story of Scotland: Clans, Crowns, and the Fight for Identity — Fexingo History / The Battle of Killiecrankie: Jacobites Rise Again
Transcript
- Lucas: So, we've covered a lot of ground in this series—from the Wars of Independence to the Clearances—but there's one event that really marks the beginning of a whole new era of conflict: the Battle of Killiecrankie in 1689. It's the first major battle of the Jacobite risings, and it's a fascinating story of loyalty, betrayal, and a Highland charge that almost changed everything. Luna: Wait, I thought the Jacobite risings were more of an 18th-century thing—the '15 and the '45. Lucas: Right, those are the most famous, but the first one actually started in 1689, just a year after the Glorious Revolution forced James VII of Scotland and II of England into exile. His supporters—the Jacobites, from 'Jacobus', the Latin for James—rose up in the Highlands. And the key figure was John Graham of Claverhouse, better known as Bonnie Dundee. Luna: Bonnie Dundee—I've heard that name. He's almost a legendary figure. Lucas: He is, but he's also a controversial one. To the Jacobites, he was a heroic martyr. But to the Covenanters—and we've talked about them in earlier episodes—he was 'Bloody Claverhouse', the man who persecuted them mercilessly in the 1670s and 80s. He was a professional soldier, a staunch royalist, and when James fell, he refused to accept William of Orange as king. Luna: So he led a rebellion right away? Lucas: Almost. In early 1689, the Scottish Convention—basically a Parliament—offered the throne to William and Mary. Claverhouse had been trying to rally support for James, but he was outnumbered politically. So he rode north into the Highlands, knowing that the clans were the key to any military resistance. Luna: And the clans rose for him? Lucas: Many did—especially the MacDonalds, the Camerons, and the MacLeans. They saw James as their legitimate king and also had old grievances against the Lowland government. Claverhouse was able to assemble an army of about 2,500 Highlanders. Against him, the government sent General Hugh Mackay with a similar number of troops, many of them newly raised and inexperienced. Luna: So where does Killiecrankie come in? Lucas: Mackay marched north from Perth to confront the Jacobites. He chose to move through the Pass of Killiecrankie—a steep, wooded gorge near Pitlochry. It's a beautiful spot today, a popular hiking trail, but in 1689 it was a military trap. The Jacobites held the high ground above the pass, and on the evening of July 27, they launched their attack. Luna: A Highland charge, I assume? Lucas: Exactly. The classic Highland tactic—fire one volley, drop the muskets, draw the broadsword and targe, and then charge downhill at full speed. Mackay's men were using the new plug bayonets, which had to be inserted into the musket barrel, meaning they couldn't fire while the bayonet was fitted. So they had to choose: shoot or fix bayonets. They shot, but it didn't stop the Highlanders. Luna: So the charge worked? Lucas: Devastatingly. The line of government troops was shattered in minutes. Around 2,000 of Mackay's men were killed or wounded. But the Jacobites also suffered a crucial loss: at the height of the charge, Claverhouse was hit by a musket ball under his arm. He died within minutes. Without him, the Jacobite army had no unified command. Luna: So they won the battle but lost the war? Lucas: Pretty much. The Jacobites advanced south, but at the Battle of Dunkeld in August 1689, they were repelled by a regiment of Cameronians—staunch Presbyterians who were the opposite of Claverhouse's supporters. That ended the first rising. But the legend of Bonnie Dundee lived on, especially in the song 'Bonnie Dundee' by Sir Walter Scott. Luna: What's the pass like today? Can you still get a sense of the battle? Lucas: Oh, absolutely. The Pass of Killiecrankie is a National Trust for Scotland property now. There's a visitor centre with exhibits, and you can walk the path where the Highlanders charged. There's even a famous spot called the 'Soldier's Leap'—where a government soldier supposedly jumped across the river to escape. Luna: That's incredible. But going back to Claverhouse—how do historians square his 'Bonnie' image with his persecution of Covenanters? Lucas: That's the tension. He was a complex man—efficient, ruthless, and loyal to a fault. To the Covenanters, he was a tyrant who executed and tortured prisoners. To the Jacobites, he was a martyr for the Stuart cause. The truth is, he was a product of his time: a soldier who followed orders and believed in divine right. But his legacy is split right down the middle, just like Scottish history itself. Luna: So Killiecrankie set the pattern for all the Jacobite risings that followed? Lucas: In many ways. The Highland charge became the Jacobite trademark. But it also showed the weakness: without a strong leader, the clans couldn't sustain a campaign. Claverhouse's death at the moment of victory was a tragic twist that doomed the rising. And that pattern—initial success followed by collapse—repeated in 1715 and 1745. Luna: Fascinating. So this battle is really the starting point for the Jacobite story as most of us know it. Lucas: Exactly. It's the opening chapter. And the Pass of Killiecrankie itself is a place where you can almost feel the history—the steep slopes, the rushing river, the echo of that charge. It's one of those spots where the past feels very present. Luna: I definitely want to visit now. Lucas: You should. And when you stand there, think of those Highlanders charging downhill, and of Bonnie Dundee riding at their head—and of all the what-ifs that hang over that moment.