Situated in Central Scotland next to the River Forth, Stirling could easily be mistaken as a thriving new community with shopping, places to eat, top-ranking education, and a bustling nightlife scene. However, towering over the city atop a 250 ft volcanic plug, is Stirling Castle – the stark reminder of this city’s dramatic yet important history. The impact the city of Stirling has had on Scottish history is undisputed. In this blog, we will discuss the three bloody battles fought at Stirling ranging from the late Middle Ages to the mid-17th century.
1: Battle of Stirling Bridge
On 11th September 1297, William Wallace, Andrew Moray, and their men defeated the English forces on the banks of the River Forth during the Scottish Wars of Independence. Wallace and his men occupied Abbey Craig, the hill upon which the National Wallace Monument now stands, and waited as the English knights and infantry crossed the narrow, wooden bridge which extended across the causeway. This would have taken several hours as the bridge only allowed for two horsemen to cross at any one time. It is estimated that Wallace and Moray waited until around 2000 English troops had crossed the bridge before they ordered their attack. The Scots quickly advanced on the English cavalry and infantry, gaining control of the east side of the bridge, and causing many English soldiers to escape by swimming back across the river. The remaining English army stayed intact but decided to retreat after observing the carnage unfold from the other side of the bridge. The Scots’ victory led to William Wallace being appointed as “Guardian of the Kingdom of Scotland and commander of its army”. Unfortunately, Andrew Moray was mortally wounded during the battle and would pass away from his injuries in November 1297. The “Stirling Bridge” from this time is thought to have lay around 180 yards upstream from where the Stirling Bridge stands today. The original bridge was ordered to be destroyed by the English after their defeat.
2: Battle of Bannockburn
The Battle of Bannockburn took place over two days at Bannockburn, less than two miles south of Stirling, during the Scottish Wars of Independence on 23-24 June 1314. The battle was fought between the armies of Robert the Bruce, King of Scots, and King Edward II of England and resulted in a victory for the Scots even though the English army outnumbered the Scots by thousands and became the largest army to ever invade Scotland. The Scots won the battle by gradually pushing the English army back towards the Bannock Burn, a stream running through the battlefield, until it was too difficult for the cavalry to manoeuvre their horses and hold their formation. Realising the battle was lost, the English retreated with King Edward being led to safety by 500 horsemen. The casualties of the English army were immense with an estimation of around 11,000 out of 16,000 soldiers on foot being lost in the battle. The aftermath of the battle resulted in Stirling Castle and Bothwell Castle being surrendered to the Scots and Edward II releasing Robert the Bruce’s wife, daughter, and sisters from capture after being imprisoned in England for 8 years.
3: Battle of Stirling
The second Battle of Stirling is not as well-known and is often overshadowed by its predecessor, the Battle of Stirling Bridge. It was fought on 12th September 1648 during the Scottish Civil War and was part of the War of the Three Kingdoms. The battle was fought between the Engager Party with an army of around 10,000 men and the Kirk Party who were largely outnumbered with only 1,000 men. The battle came as a surprise attack to the Kirk Party who were under the command of the Marquis of Argyll. He was forced to flee to safety over Stirling Bridge, but the Engager army continued to fire at him from Stirling Castle which was still flying the colours of King Charles I of England. Initially, 200 of the Kirk Party men were killed and a further 400 taken prisoner. Many more men died when they drowned trying to swim across the River Forth to safety. Outside of Stirling, the Earl of Lanark waited with 4,000 horsemen and 6,000 infantrymen but the battle did not make it this far before Argyll was forced to surrender after the loss of so many of his men. Argyll’s general was also outside of Stirling with 3,000 horsemen and 8,000 infantrymen. Had it not been for Argyll’s surrender on 12th September, it is almost certain than a larger, much more brutal battle would have taken place shortly after with a much heavier loss of life.
We hope this blog has highlighted the important of the city of Stirling to Scotland’s past. The quote “he who owns Stirling, owns Scotland” has often been attributed to Robert the Bruce and it is a quote which holds a lot of weight for this small but mighty Scottish city. A visit to Stirling can be incorporated into many of our customisable packages, including a visit to Stirling Castle and the Wallace Monument mentioned in this blog. Get in touch with us here to discuss how we can help you visit this interesting, historic city!
