The Massacre of Monzievaird, 1490

The Scottish Highland Massacre of Monzievaird was a violent event that occurred in the late 15th century or early 16th century, depending on the source. It was a result of a long-standing feud between the Murray and Drummond families.

The background to the massacre can be traced back to the loss of the stewardship of Strathearn by William Murray of Tullibardine to Lord Drummond. Despite their marital ties, the Drummonds evicted the Murrays and created difficulties for George Murray, the abbot of Inchaffray Abbey. When the abbey ran out of funds, Murray attempted to assess the teinds (taxes) on the Drummond lands of Monzievaird. The task was given to the Murrays of Ochtertyre, who carried it out with such brutality that the Drummonds were provoked into violent retaliation.

Lord Drummond’s second son, David, gathered a group of retainers and set out to forcibly evict the Murrays from Ochtertyre. However, the Murrays were warned of the attack and were prepared. The turning point in the ensuing battle came when the McRobbies and Faichneys, two other clans, joined forces with the Drummonds against the Murrays. The Murrays were forced to retreat to the north and made a final stand at Hill at Knock Mary, on the other side of Rottenreoch from Monzievaird church. Many Murrays were killed and the rest fled back towards Ochtertyre.

As the Drummonds returned to Drummond Castle, they encountered Duncan Campbell of Dunstaffnage and his clan members. Campbell also had a grudge against the Murrays, as his father-in-law and two of his sons had been murdered by them in the past. Campbell convinced the Drummonds to continue their pursuit of the Murrays and the combined Drummonds and Campbells marched towards Ochtertyre.

About 20 Murray men fled to the church at Monzievaird, near Hosh, for refuge. One of them shot an arrow from a window, killing one of the Drummonds outside and revealing their hiding place. The Drummonds retaliated by gathering brushwood and setting the thatched and heather-roofed church on fire. Only one of the Murray men survived the fire; the rest were killed inside the church or trying to escape.

The authorities intervened in the aftermath of the massacre and arrested David Drummond and Duncan Campbell of Dunstaffnage. Both men were executed by hanging at Stirling. The old Monzievaird parish church was demolished and nothing remains of it today. The site is now marked by a memorial stone and a cairn, and the event is remembered in local folklore. The number of dead Murrays is unclear, with some accounts suggesting that as many as 120 men, along with their wives and children, were killed, while others claim that this number is exaggerated.