THE DUNAVERTY MASSACRE 1647

If you're ever lucky enough to be down in the Mull of Kintyre  see if you can manage a visit to Dunaverty, site of the ancient fortified Dun of the Cenel Gabran in the 6th century and probably inhabited long before this by the indigenous tribe of the region the Epidi.

It has been a place of Kings with the Norse, Hakon visiting in 1263 before defeat at Largs and our own King Robert The Bruce having visited on his travels west following Methven.

King James IV was also a visitor installing a governor and no sooner sailing away, for the local MacDonald chief to hang the governor from its walls.

There is nothing left of any fortifications apart from a small section of stone wall but it’s a great scramble about and typical of the ancient Dun’s of the period.

But Dunaverty has witnessed one of the more gruesome massacres in our history and probably a worse atrocity committed on Clan Donald than Glencoe, 45 years later.

In May 1647 the remnants of the Highland Host led by Alasdair MacColla in proud support of the House of Stewart were being hounded by the Covenanting forces, supporters of Cromwell led by David Leslie with the support of the Campbells of Argyll. All the way west then down through Kintyre they were hounded and with MacColla unusually caught off guard with a surprise attack at the Battle of Rhunahaorine Moss.

He had left Kintyre to its fate having already left with his father old Collkitto and most of his supporters and clansmen taken to what boats they could muster and leaving the shores of Scotland for Ireland via Ghiga to Islay and safety.

Over 500 men woman and children left behind took refuge at Dunaverty, local MacDonald’s and some MacDougall clansmen led by Archibald MacDonald and John MacDougall of Dunolie made a last stand at Dunaverty and held out under siege until their water supply was cut off.

The only source of fresh water at Dunaverty was a small stream and Leslies forces soon attacked this killing over 40 of the defenders cutting off the supply. Lack of water forced them to seek an honourable surrender.

300 prisoners were led out of the castle with the rest either escaping or killed through starvation or thirst.

Most were taken to the field behind the sands of Dunaverty Bay which is now a caravan site and slaughtered, some were hanged such as Archibald MacDonald but every man, woman or child found at the castle were put to the sword, shot or bludgeoned to death.

The ferocity of the slaughter was fuelled by religious hatred incited by a Rev John Nevoy and other zealot covenanting preachers among them. It was also a chance for Argylls Campbells predominant among Leslie’s forces to vent their hatred on Clan Donald.

If you ever make it down as far as this pay this site a visit, its well worth it even to pay some respects to those who had accepted what they thought would be an honourable surrender only to be treated the way they were.

It was said that in the 1820’s sculls and bones of those massacred were exposed above ground in the field behind the caravan site.

 Some of the dead were interred in the field close to where they had died and in 1846 a walled enclosure was erected in order to mark these graves and this still remains along with a faded memorial stone (in desperate need of restoration) set in the gable wall within the watchful eye of Dunaverty which they stoutly defended.

This atrocity by so called “men of god” on Clan Donald is very much overshadowed by what happened years later at Glencoe but just as dishonourable and despicable a “killing field”.

There are a few stories about the massacre that can be found  in Kevin Byrnes, Colkitto, A celebration of Clan Donald of Colonsay (1570-1647) it has a few interesting pages on the Dunaverty Massacre if you can stay with it, it's a good read. Also David Stevensons Highland Warrior, based on the life of Alasdair MacColla both worth buying.

There's also the Flora MacCambridge story which is one of a few of legends connected with the massacre, escaping along the beach with Ranald the infant son of MacDonald of Sanda, she was seized by a Campbell of Craignish who claimed "it had the eyes of a MacDonald" he then cut the tail of his plaid and wrapped him in it alowing her to escape.

Another being a young man called James Stewart of Blackhall in Paisley who was spared when he asked to read the bible before he was put to death, Stewart of Ardvorlich being with Leslie's army on hearing his name and lineage managed to have his execution stopped and sanctioned by Nevoy because he could read from the bible.

There is also one written in the gaidhlig which on translation tells of a young MacCoull a MacDougal clansman who was saved by shouting "Is there any man who would save a good scholar" he shouted this in 5 languages and on hearing him Argyll himself wrapped his cloak around him and led him away to safety.

You will enjoy this region when you visit as there are loads to see the chapel of Collum Cille just along the road has some fine medieval grave slabs and the well of Columba with the footpint carved in the rock similar to Dunadd, points to Dunaverty and would have been used in a ritual ceremony .

The guy who lives in the Lifeboat station at the foot of the Dun is also worth speaking to, he is the son of a local farmer and knows a fair bit of the history of the area, once you get talking to him as he lets on he knows nothing.
 

The memorial plaque in the burial enclosure is unreadable but is translated thus.

"This enclosure was erected by the Rev. Douglas Macdonald, XIIth Laird of Sanda, in 1846 to mark the spot where his ancestors Archibald Mhor and Archibald Oig, father and son, were shot and buried after the battle of Dunaverty in 1647. Other human remains found on the battlefield were interred here by him."

I'd Like To Thank  Saorsa from Siol  For All His Help With This History Lesson