History of Scotland
Our ongoing history of Scotland that chronicles the events in Scotland over the past million years with a special focus on the last thousand as you might expect. We have also digitised a copy of Patrick Tytler's History of Scotland which is an eccentric but wonderfully written history of the the mediaeval years in Scotland. The project of chronicling Scotland's history is ongoing, as is the process of organising and structuring and linking the pages together.
Bruce and Edward Bruce invade Galloway
Edward the Second, who succeeded to the crown of England in his twenty-fourth year, was little calculated to carry into effect the mighty designs of his predecessor. His character was weak, irresolute and headstrong; and the first steps which he took evinced a total want of respect for the dying injunctions of his father. He committed his body to the royal sepulchre at Westminster—he recalled from banishment Piers Gaveston, his profligate favourite; and after receiving at Roxburgh the homage of some of the Scottish barons in the interest of England, he pushed forward as far as Cumnock, on the borders of Ayrshire—appointed the Earl of Pembroke Guardian of Scotland— and, without striking a blow, speedily returned into his own dominions.Upon the retreat of the English, the king, and his brother Sir Edward Bruce, at the head of a powerful army, broke in upon Galloway, and commanded the inhabitants to rise and join his banner. Where this order was disobeyed, the lands were given up to military execution; and Bruce, who had not forgotten the defeat and death of his two brothers by the men of this wild district, laid waste the country with fire and sword, and permitted every species of plunder, in a spirit of cruel, but, according to the sentiments of that age, not unnatural retaliation.
Edward 2 appoints the Earl of Richmond, governor of scotland
Governed by caprice, and perpetually changing his councils, the King of England removed Pembroke from the guardianship of Scotland, and in his place appointed John de Bretagne earl of Richmond, and nephew of the late king. Full power was intrusted to him over all ranks of persons; the sheriffs of Northumberland, Cumberland, Westmoreland, and Lancashire, were commanded to assemble the whole military force of their respective counties, under the orders of the guardian; the Earl of Dunbar, Robert de Keith, Alexander de Abernethy, and several other powerful barons, as well English as Scottish, were enjoined to march along with the English army, and to rescue Galloway from the ravages of Bruce; while orders were issued to the sheriffs of London, for the transporting to Berwick the provisions, military stores, and arms requisite for the troops, with certain large cross-bows, called balistw de turno, employed in the attack and defence of fortified places.He attacks Bruce who retreats to the North of Scotland
At the head of this army, the Earl of Richmond attacked Bruce, and compelled him to retreat to the north of Scotland.J His brother, Edward Bruce, the Earl of Lennox, Sir Gilbert de la Haye, and Sir Robert Boyd, accompanied the king, but Sir James Douglas remained in the south, for the purpose of reducing the forest of Selkirk, and Jedburgh.Bruce's dangerous sickness
On reaching the Mounth, the name anciently given to that part of the Grampian chain which extends from the borders of the district called the Mearns to Loch Rannach, Bruce was joined by Sir Alexander Fraser, along with his brother, with all their power; and from them he learnt, that Comyn, the Earl of Buchan, with his own nephew, Sir David de Brechin, and Sir John Mowbray, were assembling their vassals, and had determined to attack him. This news was the more unwelcome, as a grievous distemper began at this time to prey upon the king, depriving him of his strength and appetite, and for a time leaving little hopes of his recovery. As the soldiers of Bruce were greatly dispirited at the sickness of the king, Edward, his brother, deemed it prudent to avoid a battle, and entrenched himself in a strong position near Slaines, on the north coast of Aberdeenshire.After some slight skirmishes between the archers of both armies, which ended in nothing decisive, provisions began to fail; and as the troops of Buchan daily increased, the Scots retired to Strabogy, carrying their king, who was still too weak to mount his horse, in a litter.
He defeats the Earl of Buchan at Inverury
From this last station, as their royal charge began slowly to recover his strength, the Scots returned to Inverury; while the Earl of Buchan, with a body of about a thousand men, advanced to Old Meldrum, and Sir David de Brechin pushed on with a small party, and suddenly attacked and put to flight, some of Robert's soldiers, carelessly cantoned in the outskirts of the town. Bruce took this as a military affront, and instantly rising from his litter, called for his horse and arms. His friends remonstrated, but the king mounted on horseback, and although so weak as to be supported by two men on each side, he led on his soldiers in person, and instantly attacking the Earl of Buchan with great fury, routed and dispersed his army, pursuing them as far as Fivy, on the borders of Buchan. Brechin fled to Angus, and shut himself up in his own castle of Brechin, which was soon after besieged and taken by the Earl of Athole, whose father had been executed in England. Into Buchan, the territory of Comyn, his mortal enemy, Bruce now marched, and took ample revenge for all the injuries he had sustained, wasting it with fire, and delivering i it over to unbridled military execution, Barbour informs us, that for fifty years after, men spoke with terror of the harrying of Buchan; and it is singular that, at this day, the oaks which are turned up in the mosses, bear upon their trunks the blackened marks of being scathed with fire.The army of the king now rapidly increased, as his character for success and military talent became daily more conspicuous. His nephew, Sir David de Brechin, having been pardoned and admitted to favour, joined him about this time with his whole force, and pursuing his advantage, he laid siege to the castle of Aberdeen. Edward was now at Windsor, and, alarmed at such progress, he despatched an expedition to raise the siege of Aberdeen, and commanded the different seaports to fit out a fleet, which should co-operate with his landforces. But these preparations were too late; for the citizens of Aberdeen, who had early distinguished themselves in the war of liberty, and were warmly attached to the cause, encouraged by the presence of the royal army, and assisted by some of its best leaders, assaulted and carried the castle by storm, expelled the English, and levelled the fortifications with the ground.
Continued Success of Bruce
From Aberdeen the king held his victorious progress into Angus; and here new success awaited him, in the capture of the castle of Forfar, at this time strongly garrisoned by the English. It was taken by escalade during the night, by a soldier named Philip the forester of Platane, who put all the English to the sword; and the king, according to his usual policy, instantly commanded the fortifications to be destroyed.Indecision of Edward II
The vicinity of Bruce's army now threatened the important station of Perth, and the English king, in undissembled alarm, wrote to the citizens, extolling their steady attachment to his interest, and commanding them to fortify their town against his enemies.-fEver varying in his councils, Edward soon after this dismissed the Earl of Richmond from his office of Governor of Scotland, and appointed in his place, as joint guardians, Robert de Umfraville earl of Angus, William de Ross of Hamlake, and Henry de Beaumont. John Comyn earl of Buchan, and various other Scottish barons, still attached to the English interest, were commanded to retain the charge of the various districts already intrusted to their care, and in order to encourage them in their attachment, the king intimated his intention of leading an army into Scotland in the month of August, and directed his chamberlain Cotesbache to lay in provisions for the troops; but the intended expedition never proceeded farther. The orders to Cotesbache, which are contained in the Fcedera, acquaint us with an early source of Scottish wealth. Three thousand salted salmon were to be furnished to the army.Edward Bruce reduces Galloway
Satisfied for the present with his northern successes, Bruce despatched his brother Edward into Galloway. This district continued obstinately to resist his authority, and was at present occupied by the English troops under the command of Sir Ingram de Umfraville, a Scottish baron, who, in 1305, had embraced the English interest, and Sir John de St John. Umfraville and St John, assisted by Donegal, or Dougal,J probably the same powerful chieftain, who, in a former year, had defeated Bruce's brothers, collected a force of twelve hundred men, and encountered Edward Bruce at the Water of Crie. The English and the Galwegians, however, were unable to withstand the attack of the Scots. Their ranks were immediately thrown into confusion, two hundred were left dead on the field,and the rest dispersed amongst the mountains, while Umfraville,with his companion St John, with difficulty escaped to Butel, a castle on the sea-coast of Galloway.After this successful commencement, Edward Bruce overran the country, compelled the inhabitants to swear allegiance to his brother, levied heavy contributions, and had already taken and destroyed many of the castles of that wild district, when he received intelligence that John de St John was again in Galloway, at the head of fifteen hundred men. Upon his near approach, Bruce discovered, by his scouts, that it was the design of the English to make a forced march, and attack him by surprise. The courage of this brave soldier, bordering on temerity, now impelled him to an attempt, which many would have pronounced desperate. He stationed his foot soldiers in a straight valley, strongly fortified by nature, and, early in the morning, under the cover of a thick mist, with fifty knights and gentlemen, well armed and mounted, he made a retrograde movement, and gained the rear of the English, without being perceived by them. Following their line of march about a bow-shot off, his intention seems to have been, to have allowed St John to attack his infantry, and then to have charged them in the rear; but before this could be effected, the mist suddenly cleared away, and Bruce's little party were discovered when retreat was impossible. In this desperate situation, Edward hesitated not to charge the English, which he did with so much fury, that their ranks were shaken, and many of their cavalry unhorsed. Before they could recover so far as to discern the insignificant numbers of their enemy, he made a second, and soon after a third charge, so sharp and well sustained, that the confusion became general and irretrievable; and believing, probably, that the Scottish troop was only the advance of a greater force, the English broke away in a panic, and were entirely routed. Sir Alan de Cathcart, one of Edward Bruce's companions in this spirited enterprise, recounted the particulars to Barbour, the affectionate biographer of Bruce, who characterizes it in simple but energetic language as a right fair point of chivalry.This, however, was not the only success. Donald of the Isles collecting a large force of his Galwegian infantry, and, assisted by Sir Roland, of Galloway,and other fierce chiefs of that district, made head against the royalists; but Edward Bruce, flushed with his recent victories, encountered them on the banks of the Dee, dispersed their army, with the slaughter of Roland and many of the chiefs, and in the pursuit took prisoner the Prince of the Isles.This defeat, which happened on the 29th of June 1308, led to the entire expulsion of the English. It is said, that in a single year, this ardent and indefatigable captain besieged and took thirteen castles and inferior strengths in Galloway, and completely reduced the country under the domnion of the king.