Published in Scotland Magazine Issue 34 on 30/08/2007.

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The battle of Stirling Bridge

James Irvine Robertson describes the battle of Stirling Bridge and Wallace’s legendary defeat over the English

One of the problems about early Scottish history is the lack of sources. Edward I deliberately removed and destroyed most of the records that existed before the 14th century. Those that survived were taken by Oliver Cromwell and, at the Restoration, the ships carrying them back north sank.

Thus the activities of William Wallace are very difficult to tease out of myth. John Barbour, perhaps the earliest Scots historian, wrote his poem The Brus in 1360, and he managed to avoid mentioning Wallace at all.

Andrew Wytoun said ‘Hym worthyed a gret buke to wryte’ but he did not write it, and Blind Harry was a propagandist two centuries later for whom accuracy was not an issue.

But if Scots sources do not help, the English ones, through a fog of bile, are rather better. The chronicles of Walter de Heminburgh are the fairest, although still calling Wallace a public robber, one of his kinder epithets. He nevertheless provides the best account of the Battle of Stirling Bridge.

The earliest map of Scotland gives the country an extraordinary wasp waist with the sea being separated by only the tiniest isthmus at Stirling. This was indeed the case in prehistory, but by the 13th century the water had receded to leave impenetrable bogs, which, as far as access between north and south of the country was concerned, made matters even more difficult. Only at Stirling were there fords across the River Forth to access a firm route north, and there was certainly a bridge there by 1211, less than .....

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By James Irvine Robertson

Section : Scottish History

Page number : 38