11/09/2026
⚔ 🛡️ 🏴 The Battle of Stirling Bridge 🏴 🛡️ ⚔
11th September 1297
The day William Wallace helped turn an
English advantage into a disaster…
⚔️ On 11th September 1297, an English army marched towards Stirling, expecting to crush the Scottish resistance.
Instead, they walked straight into one of the most famous defeats of the Wars of Scottish Independence.
The key to it all, was a narrow wooden bridge...
⚔ By the summer of 1297, William Wallace and Andrew de Moray controlled most of northern Scotland.
King Edward, the Longshanks, ordered an army into Scotland, and reclaim the territory lost to 'these Scottish rebels.'
The English forces under John de Warenne, Earl of Surrey, and Hugh de Cressingham, gathered south of the River Forth.
Across the water, Wallace and Andrew de Moray were waiting...
⚔ Medieval Stirling was enourmously important - it was the 'Gateway to the Highlands'.
Whoever controlled the crossing of the Forth, controlled a vital route between northern and southern Scotland.
With only a narrow wooden bridge providing the only safe crossing point into the north of Scotland - the bridge only allowed a limited number of men and horses across at a time.
⚔ England had a much larger force than the Scots, including formidable mounted knights.
For the English army to cross the bridge, it would take a considerable amount of time.
As Wallace and Moray waited, they positioned their forces on the north bank of the River Forth.
Then the English began crossing.
Rather than attacking immediately, the Scots allowed part of the English army to reach the northern bank.
More came across.
Still they waited.
Then, with thousands of English troops across the river, but much of their army still stranded on the opposite bank, the Scots attacked.
⚔ The English force north of the river suddenly found itself trapped between the Scottish army, and the Forth, while the narrow bridge made reinforcement and retreat extremely difficult.
What should have been an English advantage became chaos.
Men attempted to retreat on foot across the Forth.
The river was wide, with deep muddy banks, and the water was rising.
Although some escaped, many didn't.
Hugh de Cressingham was among those killed.
⚔ The English forces unable to cross the bridge, watched on in horror as their men were slaughtered.
The Earl of Surrey, watching the disaster unfold from the southern side, eventually ordered the bridge destroyed, and withdrew towards Berwick.
It was an extraordinary Scottish victory, but it came at a terrible price.
Andrew de Moray was mortally injured.
⚔ Andrew de Moray later died of his wounds.
His date of death is unknown, but he is presumed dead by November 1297.
Wallace began to issue correspondence to other countries, declaring Scotland’s independent status, seeking friendship, and offering trade.
One of these letters still survives: The Lübeck Letter, dated October 1297.
The letter was in the name of both Andrew de Moray, and William Wallace.
This suggests Moray survived long enough for his name to appear alongside Wallace's
⚔ Wallace's reputation soared.
He was subsequently knighted, and became Guardian of the Kingdom of Scotland.
However, Andrew de Moray's contribution to the victory, has sometimes been overshadowed by the later fame of William Wallace - but Stirling Bridge was their victory together.
⚔ Edward Longshanks was not present at the Battle of Stirling Bridge.
However, when he returned from campaigning on the Continent, he had no intention of allowing the humiliation to stand.
The following year, King Edward came north himself, and Wallace would meet him at Falkirk.
However, on 11th September 1297, beside a narrow bridge over the River Forth, the Scots had proved something very important:
England's mighty army could be beaten. ⚔️🏴
And sometimes, having the bigger army means very little - if you can't get it across the bridge! 🫣
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The Tudor Intruders (and more)
⚔ The Battle of Stirling Bridge - historically informed artistic reconstruction.
Image created using ChatGPT
