The 1883 memorial in Glencoe village, erected by a descendant to MacIain and the MacDonalds killed in 1692.
People and clans in this story
Clans and houses: Clan MacDonald of Glencoe
People: Alasdair MacIain MacDonald, Ellen Burns MacDonald of Glencoe
A place of remembrance
The Celtic cross at Upper Carnoch was erected in 1883 by Ellen Burns MacDonald of Glencoe. Its inscription remembers MacIain, chief of the MacDonalds of Glencoe, and those killed with him on 13 February 1692.
Memory made visible
The memorial was created almost two centuries after the massacre. It is evidence of how descendants chose to remember the event, not a surviving feature of the seventeenth-century settlement or the exact centre of an attack that unfolded across several communities in the glen.
What to look for while you're here
- The MacDonald crest and dedicatory inscription on the cross.
- The 1883 erection date — essential to separating commemoration from the original event.
- The memorial's village setting, distinct from the dispersed locations of the killings.
Before you go
- There is no dedicated parking at the memorial; park in the village and approach on foot.
- This is a place of commemoration in a residential village; visit quietly and respectfully.