Latest / The Story of Scotland: Clans, Crowns, and the Fight for Identity — Fexingo History / The Jacobite Risings: Scotland's Fight for the Stuarts
Transcript
- Lucas: So we've talked a lot about the medieval wars of independence, the Bruce dynasty, the Union of the Crowns — but there's a whole other thread of conflict that runs through Scottish history, one that's often romanticised but was actually brutal and divisive. I'm talking about the Jacobite risings. Luna: Jacobite — that's from the Latin for James, right? The supporters of the exiled Stuart kings? Lucas: Exactly. Jacobus is Latin for James. So after the Glorious Revolution of 1688, when James VII of Scotland — James II of England — was deposed in favour of his Protestant daughter Mary and her husband William of Orange, a lot of his supporters, especially in the Highlands, refused to accept it. They believed James was the legitimate king, and they were willing to fight for his restoration. Lucas: The first major rising came just a year later, in 1689. The leader was John Graham of Claverhouse, Viscount Dundee — you might know him as 'Bonnie Dundee'. He was a charismatic figure, a professional soldier who had served under James. When William and Mary took the throne, Dundee raised the Stuart standard on Dundee Law and rallied the Highland clans. Luna: Bonnie Dundee — that name sounds almost romantic. Was he really that popular? Lucas: Among Jacobites, absolutely. But to the Lowland Presbyterians, he was 'Bluidy Clavers' — remembered for his harsh suppression of Covenanters. So he was a polarising figure. Anyway, in July 1689, Dundee's army of about 2,400 Highlanders met a government force of roughly 4,000 under General Hugh Mackay at the Pass of Killiecrankie, in Perthshire. Luna: Killiecrankie — that's a famous battle, isn't it? I've heard about the Highland charge. Lucas: That's the one. And the Highland charge at Killiecrankie became legendary. The Jacobites waited until the sun was in the government troops' eyes, then they charged downhill, firing their muskets once before dropping them and drawing broadswords and targes — those small shields. They hit the government line with tremendous force. Mackay's men were mostly raw recruits, and they broke almost immediately. Lucas: It was a stunning victory, but it came at a terrible cost. Dundee himself was killed — shot through the eye while leading the charge. There's a story that he was wearing a coat of mail under his clothes, but a musket ball found a gap. With his death, the rising lost its head. Luna: So the rebellion just collapsed after that? Lucas: Not immediately, but the momentum was gone. The Jacobites won another small engagement, but by May 1690 they were defeated at the Battle of Cromdale. The first rising was over. But the government was terrified — they'd seen how quickly the Highlands could erupt. And that fear led to some brutal policies, including what we covered in episode 66: the Glen Coe Massacre in 1692. Luna: Right — the MacDonalds were killed for not swearing allegiance in time. That was all part of the same Jacobite context, wasn't it? Lucas: Exactly. The government wanted to make an example, to show that disloyalty would not be tolerated. Glen Coe was a direct consequence of the Jacobite threat. But even after that, the Stuart cause didn't die. There were more risings in 1715, 1719, and of course the famous '45 under Bonnie Prince Charlie. But the '89 rising set the pattern: charismatic leader, Highland charge, initial victory, then defeat and brutal reprisals. Lucas: You know, thinking about all that bloodshed — it's a heavy topic. And honestly, if today's episode was worth a coffee to you, that's the link: buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. Every little bit helps us keep telling these stories ad-free. Luna: Yeah, and we really appreciate that. It's what keeps the podcast going. Lucas: So back to Killiecrankie. The battle itself was a tactical masterpiece, but it also showed the weakness of the Jacobite cause. Dundee's army was made up of clans with their own agendas. After he died, there was no one with enough authority to hold them together. The government, on the other hand, could keep sending fresh troops. Luna: What about the weapons and tactics? You mentioned the broadsword and targe — how effective were they against regular infantry? Lucas: In the right conditions, devastating. The Highland charge was designed to get into close combat as quickly as possible, where the broadsword was deadly. The targe could deflect bayonet thrusts. But it required shock and surprise. If the enemy held their ground and kept up a steady fire, the charge could be broken. At Killiecrankie, the government troops fired one volley and then tried to reload, but the Highlanders were on them too fast. Lucas: The problem was that the broadsword and targe were specialist weapons. Not all clans had them. Some used dirks — long knives — or just improvised. And after the '45, the government banned the carrying of weapons in the Highlands, so the tradition died out. Luna: It's strange to think of the Highlands as a military society. But I guess that's what it was. Lucas: Absolutely. The clan system was based on loyalty to the chief, and the chief's power rested on his ability to field fighting men. The Jacobite risings gave that military tradition a cause — loyalty to the Stuart king. For many Highlanders, it was a matter of honour. But it was also about land, religion, and opposition to the centralising power of London. Luna: So was the '89 rising purely a Highland affair? Were there Lowland Jacobites? Lucas: There were some, but mostly Episcopalians — those who supported the Stuart line because they believed in divine right. The Lowlands were heavily Presbyterian, and they saw William as their saviour from Catholic tyranny. So the rising was indeed mainly Highland and mainly Episcopalian or Catholic. But it wasn't exclusively Highland — there were some Lowland gentry who joined. Lucas: One interesting figure is the Earl of Dunmore, who raised a regiment for James. But the heart of the movement was always the clans: the MacDonalds, Camerons, MacLeans, Frasers, and others. They provided the bulk of the fighting men. Luna: And after Killiecrankie, what happened to the Jacobite prisoners? Lucas: Many were executed or transported to the colonies. The government was not merciful. But the rising also showed that the Highlands could be a threat, so there was a push to 'civilise' them — which in practice meant breaking the clan system. That would take another 60 years, but the seeds were planted after '89. Lucas: Looking back, the Jacobite cause became a romantic lost cause — songs, stories, tartan, all that. But at the time, it was a desperate, bloody struggle. And it shaped Scotland's relationship with England for centuries. Luna: It's amazing how much of Scottish history comes back to that tension between Highland and Lowland, Catholic and Protestant, Stuart and Hanoverian. Lucas: Exactly. And the Jacobite risings are the clearest expression of that. We'll talk more about the '15 and the '45 in future episodes, but for now, I think it's worth remembering that the '89 rising set the stage. It was the first test of arms, and it showed both the power and the limits of the Jacobite dream.