#warsofscottishindependence

During the Wars of Scottish Independence, King Edward I of England captured Stirling Castle on July 24, 1304, after a long siege against Scottish forces. The mighty fortress, one of Scotland’s most important strongholds, finally fell after Edward deployed his enormous siege engine known as the War Wolf—one of the largest trebuchets ever recorded.

The War Wolf was built to destroy the castle’s defenses, but its arrival was so intimidating that the Scottish defenders attempted to surrender before it was used. Edward reportedly refused their offer until the massive machine had been assembled and demonstrated its power, sending a clear message of English dominance.

On July 19, 1333, English forces under King Edward III won a crushing victory over the Scots at the Battle of Halidon Hill, near Berwick-upon-Tweed. The battle took place during the Second War of Scottish Independence as Edward III sought to restore Edward Balliol, his claimant to the Scottish throne. The Scots, led by Sir Archibald Douglas, advanced uphill against well-prepared English positions in an attempt to relieve the besieged town of Berwick.

The English army relied heavily on its disciplined ranks of longbowmen, whose devastating volleys broke the Scottish attack before it could reach the English lines. The Scottish army suffered enormous casualties, including Sir Archibald Douglas and many of Scotland's leading nobles. The victory cemented Edward III's military reputation and demonstrated once again the deadly effectiveness of English longbow tactics.