Rannoch, By Glencoe

Thomas Stearns Eliot

Here the crow starves, here the patient stag

Full Poem in Copyright

Rannoch is Rannoch Moor, a barren moor near the valley of Glen Coe in Scotland. The poem carries the memory of the notorious Glencoe massacre of 1692. The killings were perpetrated by the British authorities on the Clan Macdonald of Glen Coe, as punishment for failing to swear allegiance to the new rulers William and Mary. Some 38 men were murdered by soldiers who had been living amongst them peacefully for a fortnight. Another 40 women and children died of starvation and exposure after their homes were burned.

Glen Coe is a green glaciated valley, surrounded by hills, with the river Coe running along it's bottom. The Glen is popular with tourists and hikers, and not just because of its beauty (the A82, a main road runs along the glen, making it a convenient destination).


Main Location:

Rannoch Moor, Highland, Scotland


Other locations:

Rannoch Moor, near Glen Coe in Scotland