Coire Gabhail by members of Clan Macdonald to hide cattle and other livestock, whether their own or stolen from others. Like other clans in the area, cattle were the mainstay of their economy, both herding and raiding: young men boastfully sang of getting cows from the Mearns. The wide flat glen is well suited for this purpose since from Glen Coe it appears to be a normal v-shaped glen approached only by a steep narrow gorge. The Macdonalds commonly had feuds with Clan Campbell. This culminated tragically in the 1692 massacre of Glencoe when Campbell soldiers turned on Macdonald clansfolk who fled
Clan MacDonell of Glengarry Clan MacDonell of Glengarry Clan MacDonell of Glengarry () is a Scottish clan and is a branch of the larger Clan Donald. The clan takes its name from Glen Garry where the river Garry runs eastwards through Loch Garry to join the Great Glen about 16 miles (25 km) north of Fort William, Highland. Glengarry is in Lochaber which was part of the ancient Kingdom of Moray that was ruled by the Picts. Ranald was the son of John of Islay, Lord of the Isles, and Ranald himself had five sons. One of them was Alan, the progenitor of the