Series 3 > Highland papers

PREFATORY NOTE
In the Dewar MSS. at Inveraray there is a good deal about
Colin Campbell of Glenure, which throws light both on
his character and on the circumstances of his killing. The
tradition is that ‘ Colin of Glenure was at the battle of
Culloden and after the battle was over he was conspicuous
beyond others for going through the prisoners and should
he see any one whom he knew he named him aloud and it
is said that many of Prince Charles’s officers who were
made prisoners would get off among the common people
were it not for him.’ Numerous instances are also given
of brutalities perpetrated by him during the years after
the battle. ‘The people of Appin and Lochaber often
talked of how ill-disposed Colin was and how he ransacked
out and got information of the poor rebels and gave them
up to law, and that if he continued to do as he was doing
it would not be long till the old inhabitants might leave
the country.’ Various plans were made to shoot him.
‘ There were but three guns in Appin and Glencoe at that
time. One of them belonged to a Dugald M‘Coll. It was
a big long Spanish gun, and his name for it was an-t’-
Slinneannach (the broad-shouldered). It was an excellent
gun for casting bullets. Were a bullet and swan-shot put
in it, it would cast the two within an inch of each other at
the distance of one hundred yards. This gun was handed
to Donald Macdonald [Stewart] brother son to the laird
of Ballachulish, and Fasnacloich was to be with him to
shoot Colin.’ There were to be two other attempts in
Lochaber before he reached the ferry at Ballachulish on
his way back from Edinburgh through Lochaber for the