This Day in Jacobite History: The Battle of Killiecrankie - 27 July 1689

The Pass of Killiecrankie © National Trust for Scotland

The Braes of Killiecrankie

Words and music Robert Burns

Where hae ye been sae braw, lad?
Where hae ye been sae brankie-o?
Where hae ye been sae braw, lad?
Cam' ye by Killiecrankie-o?

An' ye had been where I hae been
Ye wadna been sae cantie-o
An' ye had seen what I hae seen
On the braes o' Killiecrankie-o

I fought at land, I fought at sea
At hame I fought my auntie-o
But I met the Devil and Dundee
On the braes o' Killiecrankie-o

The bauld pitcur fell in a furr
And Clavers gat a clankie-o
Or I had fed an Athol gled
On the braes o' Killiecrankie-o

Oh fie, MacKay, What gart ye lie
I' the brush ayont the brankie-o?
Ye'd better kiss'd King Willie's loff
Than come tae Killiecrankie-o

It's nae shame, it's nae shame
It's nae shame to shank ye-o
There's sour slaes on Athol braes
And the de'ils at Killiecrankie-o

On this day 316 years ago - 27 July 1689, Jacobite forces supporting King James II and VII, under the command of John Graham of Claverhouse, Viscount Dundee, aka "the Bonnie Dundee", defeated forces loyal to William of Orange led by General Hugh MacKay at the Battle of Killiecrankie.

An account of the Battle of Killiecrankie, and the events surrounding and giving rise to the battle, can be found here.

Killiecrankie is a historic site under the care of the National Trust for Scotland. Its webpage can be viewed here, with excellent educational resources here. Sarah and I visited this site on our honeymoon in Scotland 5 years ago.

The "Bonnie Dundee"
Previous Pro Ecclesia posts on this subject:
This Day in Jacobite History: Mary Queen of Scots Deposed - 24 July 1567