Letters of Fire and Sword

Scotland’s “letters of fire and sword” were a type of writ issued by the government that authorized one clan to attack and kill members of another clan. These letters were used in civil wars and were seen as a way to encourage conflict between rival clans in the Highlands of Scotland. The letters were issued by the Privy Council, and in some cases, the government would even provide aid and support to the clan holding the letters.

The origins of these letters can be traced back to a time when the Highlands of Scotland were a wild and lawless place, ruled by powerful chieftains and their clans. These clans were constantly at war with one another, fighting over land, resources, and power. The government, in an attempt to exert some control over the situation, began issuing these letters to one clan, allowing them to attack and kill members of another clan.

The letters were often issued without regard for the relative merits of the two sides, and were sometimes granted to one clan after another had already been decimated. This system led to widespread violence and destruction in the Highlands, as clans fought each other with the government’s blessing. The granting of these letters was often motivated by a belief that it was beneficial to keep the clans in a state of constant conflict, as it made them easier to control.

One of the most infamous examples of the use of these letters occurred in the early 1690s, when the government issued a letter to the Clan Campbell, allowing them to attack and kill members of the Clan MacDonald of Glencoe. This event, known as the Massacre of Glencoe, resulted in the deaths of over thirty members of the clan, and is widely considered one of the most shameful episodes in Scottish history.

Another example is the case of the inheritance of Lord Lovat‘s property, which was left to his daughter according to Lowland Scottish law. However, in the Highlands it was uncommon for a female to inherit property and lead a clan unless she was immediately married to a strong warrior from the clan. Simon Fraser of Beaufort, also known as Lord Lovat, claimed the inheritance and leadership of the clan for himself and his father, who were collateral relatives of the last Lord. The clan was divided, with some supporting Simon and others supporting the heiress. The powerful house of Atholl also supported the heiress. This led to ongoing conflict and applications for government assistance in the form of “letters of fire and sword” to help the supporters of the heiress enforce the law and defeat Simon and his followers.

The use of these letters eventually fell out of favor as the government began to realize the destructive nature of the system. In later years, the garrison of Fort-William was associated with the holders of the letters, which served to mitigate the horrors of the system. However, the damage had already been done, and the legacy of the letters of fire and sword lives on as a dark chapter in Scottish history.