BattlefieldsBattle of Stirling — Covenanters hold Edinburgh 1640
English Civil War

Battle of Stirling — Covenanters hold Edinburgh 1640

1640
Midlothian, Scotland
Also known as: Covenanting army secures central Scotland 1640 · First Bishops War Covenanting operations 1640
Era
English Civil War
Battle Type
Skirmish
Location
Midlothian, Scotland
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Royalists
VS
Victor
Covenanters
Outcome
Covenanting forces secured Stirling and the central belt during the Second Bishops War, preventing any royalist concentration in the Lowlands
The Battle

History & Significance

During the Second Bishops War of 1640, the Covenanting army moved decisively to control the central Lowlands. Securing Stirling — the gateway between Highlands and Lowlands — was strategically vital. The Covenanting army then crossed the Tweed at Coldstream and defeated the English at Newburn, forcing Charles I to call the Long Parliament. Control of the Scottish Lowlands underpinned this campaign.

Forces Involved

Covenanting army under Leslie; royalist garrisons in Stirling area

Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

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