KILLICRANKIE, a noted pass of Perthshire, Scotland, within about two miles of Blair-Athole. It is formed by lofty mountains impending over the river Garry, which rushes through in a deep channel beneath. In the last century this pass was one of some danger and difficulty, and a path hanging over a tremendous precipice threatened destruction at the least false step of the traveller. At present it is traversed by a beautiful road, forming part of the Highland line between Dunkeld and Inverness, and all danger or even difficulty has completely vanished. The finest portion of the pass is at the southern extremity, and [7:12:718]nearly opposite to the house of Faskally, which is situated on a level paddock at the foot of the precipice, on the right bank of the Garry, which sweeps round the beautiful green spot on which it stands.

Near the northern extremity of this pass, in its open and unimproved state, was fought, in the year 1689, the battle of Killicrankie, between the adherents of James II. under Viscount Dundee, and those of William III. under General Mackay. Dundee’s army was inferior in numbers to that of Mackay. When he came in sight of the latter, he found them formed in eight battalions ready for action. They consisted of 4500 foot, and two troops of horse. The Highlanders under Dundee amounted to little more than half that number. At five of the clock in the afternoon, a kind of slight skirmish took place between the right wing of the Highlanders and the left of the enemy. But neither army wishing to change their ground, the firing was discontinued for three hours. Dundee in the mean time passed from clan to clan, and animated them to action." About eight o’clock he gave the signal for battle. The Highlanders in deep columns rushed suddenly down the hill, reserving their fire until they were within a pike’s length of the enemy; when, having discharged their muskets, they fell upon the red-coats sword in hand. Mackay’s left wing, unable to sustain the shock, were driven by the Macleans with great slaughter from the field. But the Macdonalds, on the left of the Highlanders, were not equally successful. Colonel Hastings’s regiment of foot stood their ground, and even forced the Macdonalds to recoil. Maclean, however, with a few of his tribe, and Sir Evan Cameron at the head of his clan, fell suddenly on the flank of this gallant regiment, and forced them to give way. The slaughter ended not with the battle. Two thousand men fell in the field and in the flight. The tents, baggage, artillery, and provisions of the enemy, and even King William’s Dutch standard, borne by Mackay’s regiment, fell into the hands of the conquerors. The victory was now complete. But the Highlanders lost their gallant leader, who, as he was raising his arm, and ordering the Camerons to advance, received a ball in his side. The wound proved mortal; and with Dundee perished all the hopes of King James.

The battle of Killicrankie, or of Renrorie as the Highlanders call it, was fought to the westward of the great pass, on a level space, in the form of a small amphitheatre, immediately below the house of Urrard, and bounded on the one side by the heights, on a terrace of which that house stands, and on the other by the river Garry, which at this place runs close by the modern road. In the middle of this little plain stands a rude block of stone, which is said to mark the spot where Viscount Dundee received the wound which put a period to his earthly career; but this is most probably a mistake; for, in the first place, if he had descended to the level ground, he could not have commanded a full view of the attack, whereas, by remaining at or near Urrard House, he must have perceived at a glance every movement that took place in the plain below; and, secondly, the tradition is uniform and uncontradicted, that he was mortally wounded by a ball which entered between the joinings of his armour, whilst his horse was stooping to drink at a well on the heights, and at the moment when he was ordering the Camerons to advance. Before the onset, the Highland army was drawn up on the face of the hill, a little above the house of Urrard; a position which gave them the entire command of the pass, and enabled them to attack to the greatest advantage.' As Mackay was observing his adversaries, on the hill above, he turned round to young Locheil who stood next him, and pointing to the Camerons, “There,” said he, “is your father and his wild savages; how would you like to be with him ?” “It signifies little,” replied the other, “what I would like; but I recommend it to you to be prepared, or perhaps my father and his wild savages may be nearer to you before night than you would like.” And it happened as young Cameron had foreseen. Dundee delayed his attack until near sunset, “when,” according to an eye-witness, “the Highlanders advanced on us like madmen, without shoes or stockings, covering themselves from our fire with their targets. At last they cast away their muskets, drew their broadswords, and advancing furiously upon us, broke us, and obliged us to retreat; some fled to the water, some another way.”^[1. The author of the Memoirs of Dundee, speaking of this battle, says, “Then the Highlanders fired, threw down their fusils, rushed in with sword, target, and pistol upon the enemy, who did not maintain their ground two minutes after the Highlanders were amongst them; and I dare be bold to say, there were never such strokes given in Europe as were given that day by the Highlanders.” What follows seems to partake a little of the marvellous. “Many of General Mackay’s officers and soldiers were cut down through the skull and neck to the very breast; others had skulls cut off above their ears like night-caps; some soldiers had both their bodies and cross-belts cut through at one blow; pikes and small swords were cut like willows; and whoever doubts of this may consult the witnesses of the tragedy.” The whole, indeed, seems to have been, in more senses than one, a very cutting affair. ] In short, the charge was like a torrent, and the rout immediate and complete. Some regiments, indeed, withstood the first onset, and regaining their formation, made some show of resistance; but seeing themselves at length turned and abandoned, they soon joined in the flight. It has generally been believed that Dundee fell towards the close of the action; but a letter, which has been preserved, from James VII. to Stewart of Balle-chin, who commanded the Athole men, proves the reverse. " If their courage and yours, and the rest of the commanders under you, were not steady,” says James, “the loss you had in a general you loved and confided in, at your entrance into action, with so great inequality of numbers, were enough to baffle you.” The consternation occasioned by the death of Dundee, however, prevented an immediate pursuit through the great pass. Had the discomfited troops been closely followed, and had a few Highlanders been placed at the southern entrance, not a man of them would have escaped. His uninterrupted retreat caused General Mackay to conclude that some misfortune had befallen Dundee. “Certainly,” said he, “Dundee has been killed, or I should not thus be permitted to retreat unmolested.” (Stewart’s Sketches of the Highlanders, vol. i. pp. 66, 67.)