A LANDMARK Scottish museum is to address the state of its exhibit on the Massacre of Glencoe “as a priority” after concerns were raised, The National has been told.
It comes after concerns about fading on the lettering of the information panel on the exhibit, which meant even the number of MacDonalds killed in the 1692 massacre was illegible.
The exhibition in question is at the National Museum of Scotland, next to Greyfriars Kirkyard in central Edinburgh.
Its aim is to educate visitors on the slaughter of at least 38 men, women and children from clan MacDonald after King William III of England decided to make an example of them. Alasdair Maclain, the chief of the Glencoe MacDonalds, had been late in swearing fealty.
The National Museum of Scotland exhibit was further criticised for reporting that “only bad weather and misunderstandings prevented [Maclain] from taking the oath in good time”.
Chris McEleny, the general secretary of the Alba party, said: “Scotland’s story has been badly let down by a number of organisations over the years. It’s quite common to see Scottish history after the mid 17th-century written with a British tint.
“I would be hopeful that the National Museum of Scotland would address the aesthetics of their exhibit but much more could be done to tell the story of the Glencoe MacDonalds.
“To believe that bad weather was the only barrier to swearing an Oath of Allegiance to William II [of Scotland] is naive at best and ignorant at worst.”
McEleny went on: “The Massacre at Glencoe has a much more complex origin going back to Killiecrankie, and the bloody and brutal slaughter also shocked all of Scotland at the time.
“Unfortunately for the Scottish Jacobite cause, the end of the Williamite war in Ireland in 1690 meant that there wasn’t a Jacobite presence that could capitalise on the public mood, and sentiment in Scotland that was very unhappy with the brutal actions sanctioned by a foreign king based in London.
“If there is to be some investment to improve the condition of exhibitions there would be merit in trying not to explain complex events of Scottish history that spanned several years on one simple info board on the wall.”
A spokesperson for National Museums Scotland said that the exhibitions were now 25 years old and would be reviewed as part of an ongoing programme of work.
They said: “We regularly monitor damage to our displays and have a rolling programme of maintenance. The wear to this particular interpretation panel has already been logged and will be addressed as a priority.
“This display tells the story of the Massacre of Glencoe within the specific context of the development of state power. The story of the Jacobite challenge is told elsewhere in the museum.
“Our Scotland Galleries are now 25 years old and we are embarking on a programme of works to review and refresh them. Interpretation, including label text, will be reviewed as part of this project.”
