The Appin Murder

This is a tale of power, politics, deceit and injustice.

This gruesome tale is true, some parts will never be brought to light but many say The Appin Murder is one of the biggest if not the biggest miscarriage of justice in the history of Scotland. The law made James of the Glen a murderer, legend made him the victim.

His bones rest in the old graveyard of Keil in Appin.

 

the real murder?

Ballachulish on the shores of Loch Leven, November 8^th 1752.

On the little hillock above the pier of the ferry (today a bridge connects the two shores) a gallow has been erected. The 50-year-old James Stewart, also known as Seaumas a’ Ghlinne, James of the Glen, faces death on this very spot.

He was hanged for murder. A murder he very probably did not commit. So the alleged murderer was murdered.

the accused

James of the Glen was a quiet and well liked man, he was educated, could read and write in both Scottish languages, he was married to his cousin Margaret and had at least 3 children with her. The family lived on a farm in Glen Duror, a few miles South of Ballachulish, where he met his untimely end. He had fought on Culloden field, survived the uprising only to be killed at home.

the murder

James of the Glen was a Stewart of Appin and a Jacobite. The Campbells were Hanoverians and in the process of clearing as many Stewarts off their lands as possible. James of the Glen and Colin Campbell, a land agent they called “The red Fox”, had had a fight over the evictions in a pub that had been witnessed by a number of people. Campbell carried eviction orders when he was shot on his way to Duror on May 14^th 1752, a few days after the pub brawl. A man holding a musket had been seen disappearing into the woods. But who was that man?

the trial

Alan Breck, foster-son of James of the Glen,was the most obvious suspect and his foster father was accused of having taken part in the killing. Breck fled to France so James of the Glen was taken prisoner and was not allowed any legal support until 36 hours before his trial. The judge was the duke of Argyll, chief of the clan Campbell, 11 of the 15 jurors were Campbells as well.

Justice was no blind, it was prejudiced and  James of the Glen stood no chance. He never really defended himself either, but probably not because he was guilty but because he did not want to involve any of his kinsmen.

the hanging

They hanged him, put iron chains around his body and kept it hanging on the gibbet for three years. His bones were collected as they fell down and together with his wife Margaret laid to rest on Keil churchyard, the church already a ruin by that time.

The murdered Colin Campbell was buried in Ardchattan Priory .

 

sources and further reading

Richenda Miers: Scotland’s Highlands and Islands, New Holland Publishers, 2006, p. 107

The Appin Murder 250 years later

 

access

The memorial is hidden amongst the trees above the bridge at Ballachulish, Keil graveyard lies on the grounds of a working farm, both are not signposted and parking is difficult.

 

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Scotland is a country full of history, stories and secrets. Often, the three cannot be separated. That is what makes this country so wonderful and unique. These stories have been discovered and gathered for Erkenbach’s blog, Graveyards of Scotland, over many years. Her main sources were historical travel guides from the 18th and 19th centuries, where the finds were scary, beautiful, funny, and sometimes, cruel. This unusual approach to a country’s history has produced amazing results. You don’t have to share the author’s passion for cemeteries to enjoy this book; only a small number of the stories in this collection take place in graveyards, though they do all end in them, so perhaps it helps.

The fairy hill in Inverness, a nitrate murder on Shetland, a family of left-handers, wolves, Robert the Bruce and William Wallace shown in a new light, the secret bay of the writer Gavin Maxwell, a murdering poet and everything about Scotland except whisky, sheep and tartan.

Scotland for Quiet Moments is available as ebook and paperback on Amazon.