Bettie's Books

Every behaviour has it's impact so imagine this - as I placed my half-finished coffee cup down on the table, Prebble, who was my elevensies companion :1 - Described Big Bang through to Sweden now2 - Stood up and recited all the North land sagas learnt by rote (Snorri would have snored) 3 - Described local superstitions4 - Listed the families, from first habitation to now, who had lived on this particular piece of land5 - Described the timber industry from origin to modern day that produced my kitchen table.6 - Described the ceramic industry from origin to modern day that produced my coffee cup7 - Described the coffee industry from origin to modern day that produced my drink, with a special information spur on Colombia8 - Pointed out the mini-environment that was now playing influences on my kitchen (light and shade, draught, temperature)It is to this degree I now know the Glencoe Massacre story and have ordered Culloden on the back of it.'Let it be secret and sudden'From the foreword by John Prebble October 1965:[...]By 1690 the Highlanders were already regarded by many Lowlanders as an obstacle to the complete union of England and Scotland, and their obstinate independence of spirit - expressed in their customs, their clothes and their language - had to be broken and humbled.Thus the stage was set for the Campbells, working towards a union, to break the MacDonalds of Glencoe within the sense of Mi-run mor nan Gall (Lowlander's great hatred).~~~~~~~~~SING ALONG: John McDermott - Massacre Of Glencoe(chorus)O cruel is the snowThat sweeps glencoeAnd covers the grave o donaldAnd cruel was the foeThat raped glencoeAnd murderd the house ofMacdonaldThey came in a blizzardWe offered them heatA roof o'er their headsDry shoes for their feetWe wined them and dined themThey ate of our meatAnd they slept in the house ofMacdonald(chorus)They came from fort williamWi' murder in mindThe campbells had ordersKing william had signedPut all to the swordThese words were underlinedAnd leave none alive calledMacdonald(chorus)They came in the nightWhen the men were asleepThis band o' argylesThrough snow soft and deepLike murdering foxesAmong helpless sheepThey slaughtered the house ofMacdonald(chorus)Some died in their bedsAt the hand of the foeSome fled in the nightAnd were lost in the snowSome lived to accuse himThat struck the first blowBut gone was the house ofMacdonald~~~~~~~~Short documentary on the massacre