My post yesterday caught the attention of at least one of my readers, my brother-in-law Alan MacDonald, who’s is married to my sister, Doris. When we were in the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum a couple of days ago, our tour director pointed out this painting by James Hamilton (1883-1886).

The caption adjacent to the painting read:

The 1692 massacre of Glencoe was so shocking that it has become legendary. Though the murders were carried out by an army at royal request, the Campbell clan is still blamed today for this atrocity against the MacDonalds.

Here is a more complete description on the museum website:

The Massacre of Glencoe took place on 13 February 1692, when government troops slaughtered 38 members of the Clan MacDonald in their homes. Some survivors managed to avoid the attack, as shown in the painting, and attempted to escape through the snow. This is a typical Scottish Victorian ‘costume piece’, or historical painting, of a shameful incident from national history.

Alan MacDonald commented that “My father left Glasgow at 18 to start a new life in America. According to my father we’re the MacDonalds of Glencoe. I’m proof that some MacDonalds survived! I think the ancestors moved to Glasgow during the Highland Clearances in the late 1700s.”

And when Alan and Doris got married years ago, we were told that his last name was MacDonald as in “Old MacDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O,” not the McDonald’s hamburger chain!

I’m sure you needed to know that!