Famous Battles

The Hendersons have been involved in some of the most significant military engagements in Scottish history, from medieval conflicts to the Jacobite risings.

The Battle of Flodden was the largest battle fought between Scotland and England. King James IV led a Scottish army into Northumberland and was killed along with much of the Scottish nobility. Henderson clansmen from multiple branches participated in the battle, and the losses were devastating for the Highlands and Lowlands alike.

Perhaps the most infamous event in Highland history, the Massacre of Glencoe saw government soldiers — who had been quartered with the MacDonalds under trust of hospitality — rise in the early hours and murder their hosts. The Hendersons of Glencoe, as hereditary pipers and bodyguards to the MacDonalds, were among those who suffered. The massacre became a symbol of government treachery and remains a raw memory in Highland consciousness.

Henderson clansmen participated on both sides of the Jacobite conflicts of 1715 and 1745. The risings, aimed at restoring the Stuart monarchy, ultimately led to the destruction of the clan system after the Battle of Culloden in 1746 and the subsequent Act of Proscription that banned tartan, bagpipes, and the bearing of arms.