 In April 1603, King James VI ruled that the name McGregor should be abolished everywhere, and that anyone still bearing the clan name McGregor should renounce it or face death. Many McGregors went on to adopt aliases such as Grant, Stewart or Ramsay. Around a year later, 12 leading figures of clan McGregor were hung in Edinburgh with the leader drawn and quartered. In 1633 it became legal to kill McGregors and hunt them with bloodhounds. But how did we get here? Why was the crown so hell bent on destroying the McGregor clan? Well it was to do with a battle, the battle of Glenfroon, just behind me is the memorial to the battle of Glenfroon, but there was various other reasons and the context of the time was really important to understand. The crown at this point in time was at war against the Scottish clan system. The battle of Glenfroon was fought on the 7th of February 1603 and it is one of the most famous clan battles in Scottish history. It was fought between two clans and their allies, Clan McGregor on one side and Clan Calhoun on the other. Glenfroon in general is located just west of Loch Lomond and it is a beautiful part of Scotland. But why did the battle of Glenfroon take place? Well there are a few theories. One suggests that the battle was sparked after two McGregor members refused shelter on Calhoun land and resorted to sleeping in an outhouse and slaughtering a sheep. After being discovered by the laird of Luss, they were sentenced to death and thus sparked their kingsmen to mobilise in furious response. Another theory however suggests that war broke out between the two clans because the McGregors raided Clan Calhoun's land once again. The two clans had been at loggerheads over land for years, including an instant a year earlier at Glenfinless. The Calhouns managed to gain royal support and raise an army against the McGregors, raising a combined force of 600 to 800 men, including a large proportion of cavalry, whilst the McGregors only managed to raise around 300 to 400 men. Despite being outnumbered, Clan McGregor and their allies won a resounding victory. The McGregors launched a surprise attack on the Calhouns, which drove them back into a trap of a second force that were waiting to pounds. As many as 200 men from the Clan Calhoun force were killed, versus as little as two being killed from the McGregor force, although this number is disputed. Then King James VI weighs war on Clan McGregor. A royal warrant was signed by James VI on February 24th, 1603, accusing the McGregors of attacking members of Clan Calhoun at Glenfroon, without piety or compassion, or regard for young or old. Their deeds were barbarous and horrible, with this wicked and unhappy race to be exterminant and rotten out. Less than two months later, around April 3rd, James VI ruled that the name McGregor should be altogether abolished and that all people of the clan should renounce their name and take another, under the pain of death. The McGregor name was briefly restored in 1661 by Charles II, but disallowed once more in 1693 by William of Orange. It was not until 1784 that the McGregors were allowed to resume their own name, and were restored all the rights and privileges of British citizens. At the end of the 18th century, the chiefs of Clan McGregor and Clan Calhoun shook hands on the site of the Battle of Glenfroon. It is fair to say that the reaction from King James was pretty severe against Clan McGregor, but perhaps the reaction from King James wasn't just simply because of this battle. There is a saying in politics, don't let a good crisis go to waste. King James was the first king of Scotland, England and Ireland after the unions of the Crown in 1603. He knew that a strong clans system in the Highlands threatened closer ties between Scotland and England and his vision of Britain. His severe reaction after the Battle of Glenfroon was probably a result of wanting to make an example out of Clan McGregor and send a warning shot to other clans of Scotland. After all, King James sought to meet the Highlands and the Islands, answerable to God, justice and himself. To find out more about the decline of the Scottish Clans system and the role of King James in this, please click here. Thanks for watching, for ways to support, they will be in the description below.