Appin Murder

The Appin Murder occurred on 14 May 1752 near Appin in the west of Scotland, and it resulted in what is often held to be a notorious miscarriage of justice. It occurred in the tumultuous aftermath of the Jacobite Rising of 1745.

The murder inspired events in Robert Louis Stevenson's novel Kidnapped.

Overview

On 14 May 1752, Colin Roy Campbell of Glenure, 44, the government-appointed Factor to the forfeited estates of the Stewart Clan in North Argyll, Scotland, was shot in the back by a marksman in the wood of Lettermore near Ballachulish. The search for the killer targeted the local Clan, the Jacobite Stewarts of Appin, who had recently suffered evictions on Campbell's orders.

The chief suspect, Allan Stewart (or Alan Breck Stewart) having fled, James Stewart (also known as Seumas a' Ghlinne [James of the Glen] and brother of Ardsheil), one of the last leaders of Stewarts, was arrested for the crime and tried for the murder. Although it was clear at the trial that James was not directly involved in the assassination (he had a solid alibi), he was found guilty "in airts and pairts" (as an accessory; an aider and abetter) by a jury consisting of people from the locality where the crime occurred. The presiding judge was pro-Hanoverian Archibald Campbell, 3rd Duke of Argyll, Chief of Clan Campbell; 11 Campbell clansmen were on the 15-man jury.

Appin

Coordinates: 56°33′44″N 5°21′32″W / 56.562222°N 5.358889°W / 56.562222; -5.358889

Appin (Scottish Gaelic: An Apainn) is a remote coastal district of the Scottish West Highlands bounded to the west by Loch Linnhe, to the south by Loch Creran, to the east by the districts of Benderloch and Lorne, and to the north by Loch Leven. It lies north-east to south-west, and measures 14 miles (23 km) in length by 7 miles (11 km) in breadth.

The district is mainly in Argyll and Bute, with a coastal strip to the north, along Loch Leven, within the Highland council area.

The scenery of the coast is beautiful - a combination of seascapes and rugged and mountainous country inland - and Appin forms part of the Lynn of Lorn National Scenic Area, one of 40 in Scotland. The principal hills are double peaks of Beinn a' Bheithir - 3,362 feet (1,025 m) and 3,284 feet (1,001 m) - and Creag Ghorm - 2,372 feet (723 m) - in the north, and Fraochaidh 2,883 feet (879 m), Meall Bàn 2,148 feet (655 m) and Beinn Mhic na Céisich 2,093 feet (638 m) near the western flank of Glen Creran. The chief rivers are the Coe and Laroch, flowing into Loch Leven, the Duror and Salachan flowing into Loch Linnhe, and the Iola and Creran flowing into Loch Creran. The leading industries are forestry and tourism, lead mining and slate quarrying, being of former importance but the superquarry Glensanda, in Morvern, on the opposite bank of Loch Linnhe provides employment. Ballachulish, Duror, Portnacroish, Appin Village and Port Appin are the principal villages. Appin was the country of a branch of the Stewarts.

Appin (disambiguation)

Appin may refer to:

or it may refer to:

Appin (Bennettsville, South Carolina)

Appin near Bennettsville, South Carolina dates from 1875. The boundaries of the listed property were increased to include more, perhaps outbuildings or secondary structures, dating from 1870, in 2007 It is a two-story farmhouse associated with its second owner, Charles Spencer McCall. He was a veteran of the Civil War, a local business man, mayor of Bennettsville, and member of the South Carolina Senate.

It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.

References