The Red Wedding and Horror in the Highlands
Martin revealed that two events inspired his “Red Wedding”. The first was the execution of the 16-year-old Earl William Douglas and his younger brother in 1440 at an event known as the “Black Dinner.” The powerful earl had accepted an invitation from the 10-year-old King James II to dine at Edinburgh Castle. During the feast, however, Douglas heard the beating of a single drum, at which point a platter was brought to his table. When lifted, the platter revealed the head of a black boar, a symbol of death. Being alerted to his fate did nothing to save him, and the Earl and his brother were immediately dragged to the courtyard, given a short mock trial, and beheaded.
The second, more prescient event took place at Glencoe in the Scottish Highlands: a place of tranquil natural beauty that masks a macabre history. What transpired was essentially a massacre, the murder of 38 MacDonald clan members at the hands of the Campbells who, for nearly two weeks, had been their guests. As in Game of Thrones, the reality behind the conspiracy was more complicated. Just as it was actually Tywin Lannister who organized the Stark’s massacre, and the skin-stripping Boltons who helped carry it out, the order at Glencoe was given by the Scottish Secretary of State, John Dalrymple.
Dalrymple had a personal vendetta against the Highland Clans in general as he saw them as obstructive towards a union with England, but he particularly hated Maclain and his MacDonald’s of Glencoe. Maclain’s failure to sign his oath of allegiance to William by the deadline of January 1 gave him the excuse he needed to destroy them.
Robert Campbell’s soldiers arrived at the MacDonald’s fort at Glencoe on February 1. They took shelter from the elements outside and were treated to all the hospitality they were entitled to under the Highland hospitality code. Then on the night of February 13, 1692, as a blizzard raged outside and everyone was sleeping, the Campbells set about murdering every MacDonald they could find. Thirty-eight lay dead inside the fort the next morning, including the clan leader, Alasdair MacDonald (known as Maclain). Around 40 others, mainly women and children, had fled the fort, including Maclain’s wife, but ultimately died from exposure on the mountainside.
The massacre at Glencoe sent shockwaves through Scotland. Even among the participants, there were those who tried to warn the victims, giving them and their families enough time to layer up and try to make an escape. And its effects are still being felt today. Despite the successes of various historical Campbells, the name still bears the weight of ancestral responsibility. Visit Glencoe’s Clachaig Inn, and you’ll still see a sign on the door that reads: “No Campbells”.