Published in Scotland Magazine Issue 16 on 15/9/2004.

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Battlefields and beauty spots

David Gordan highlights some of Scotland’s most famous battle sites

If there is one thing we can say for sure about Scotland’s history it is that it has been one of the most turbulent and violent in the world.

Inter clan strife as well as struggles against a long line of invaders has resulted in the land being littered with battlefield sites.

Many of these are now well preserved and have visitor centres where you can find out about the epic struggles that took place there. Others are memorable for their solitude or simple memorials, whilst some are lost forever as their exact site is veiled by the mists of time.

It is by no accident that four of the battlefield sites we have looked at are situated in or near the Borders, as this was the bloodiest of all Scotland’s historical areas. Not only did Scots fight the English but also the great families fought here against bothEnglish and Scottish as it suited their fortunes.

Scottish battles have varied in size, with hundreds to thousands taking part, and they have been spread out all over the land from Loch Long, where a Viking army was defeated, to the Isle of Lewis where the violent conflicts against the Morrisons took place.

Writing this article has not been easy as it has been not so much a question of what to put in – Culloden and Bannnockburn are obvious candidates – but rather what to leave out. Battles such as Falkirk, Pinkie, Stirling Bridge, Largs, Harlaw and Dunbar all left their mark on Scotland’s development.

Visting the sites of these battles can be a moving experience but it is.....

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By David Gordon

Section : Scottish Culture

Page number : 28