In the shadow of Stirling Castle, one of Scotland’s darkest chapters unfolded in 1746. Eighteen-year-old James Stewart—known as James of the Glen—was hanged for the murder of government agent Colin Campbell. But here’s the twist: James was likely innocent.
The killing, part of the notorious Appin Murder, took place during the chaos following the failed Jacobite Rising. With tensions high, authorities demanded a scapegoat. Though there was no concrete evidence, James was convicted by a jury led by Campbell clansmen and hanged in sight of the crime scene.
His body was left dangling for eighteen months as a warning to others—a brutal symbol of power and control.
Many now believe James was framed, and the real killer was never caught. His wrongful death inspired Robert Louis Stevenson’s novel Kidnapped, keeping the mystery alive centuries later.
🏴 Justice… or judicial revenge?
#BlantyreProject #AppinMurder #JacobiteHistory #StirlingCastle #ScottishInjustice #KidnappedStory
