The Massacre of Glencoe took place in Glen Coe, Scotland, in the early morning of 13 February 1692, during the Jacobite era. The massacre began in three settlements along the glen, Invercoe, Inverrigan, and Achacon, although the killing took place all over the glen as MacDonalds were pursued. Thirty-eight MacDonalds from the Clan MacDonald of Glencoe were killed by the guests who had accepted their hospitality, and another forty women and children died of exposure after their homes were burned.

The massacre was ordered on the grounds that the MacDonalds had not pledged allegiance to the new king, William of Orange within the prescribed time frame. The chiefs were to sign an oath of allegiance to King William by January 1, 1692, or be punished with the "utmost extremity of the law". But many of the clans were still bound by an oath to James Stuart, the deposed King in France, and it wasn't until December 12, 1691 that James released the clans from their oath and it was December 28 before a messenger arrived in the Highlands with the news -  only three days before the deadline.

The chief of the MacDonalds of Glen Coe was Alasdair MacDonald, known as MacIain, and he set out on December 31st to Fort William and asked Colonel Hill, the governor, to administer the required oath. Colonel Hill told MacIain that he was not authorized to receive the necessary oath, and that he should proceed to Inveraray to see Sir Colin Campbell, Sheriff of Argyll. Due to bad weather, being detained by Campbell soldiers, and waiting for the Sheriff, Sir Colin Campbell to arrive, it was January 6th before the oath was actually administered.

Thinking that he had complied with the King's order, MacIain returned to Glencoe, but the Secretary of State, John Dalrymple, Master of Stair, refused to accept the 'late' oath when it arrived in Edinburgh. Dalrymple disliked the Highlanders and had a particular dislike for the MacDonalds of Glen Coe, and saw an opportunity to use MacIain's failure to fulfill the letter of the requirement (by missing the deadline) to make an example of the MacDonalds and eliminate some enemies at the same time. The plot seems to have involved John Dalrymple, Sir Thomas Livingstone, commander of the forces in Scotland, and even King William, who signed and countersigned the orders.