BattlefieldsRough Wooing — French landing at Leith 1548
Tudor

Rough Wooing — French landing at Leith 1548

1548
Midlothian, Scotland
Also known as: French landing Leith 1548 · French troops arrive Scotland 1548
Era
Tudor
Battle Type
Naval Engagement
Location
Midlothian, Scotland
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
England
VS
Victor
France and Scotland
Outcome
French fleet landed 6,000 troops at Leith; combined Franco-Scottish force besieged English at Haddington; Mary Queen of Scots sent to France for safety
The Battle

History & Significance

The French intervention in Scotland in 1548 transformed the Rough Wooing from a bilateral Anglo-Scottish conflict into a three-way struggle. Six thousand French troops, commanded by the Italian condottiere Leo Strozzi, landed at Leith and immediately marched to besiege Haddington. Mary Queen of Scots was simultaneously shipped to France for her betrothal to the Dauphin. The French presence made Protector Somerset's position untenable and contributed to his political downfall in 1549.

Forces Involved

French landing force c.1,500–3,000 supporting Scottish operations.

Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

Aubrey Research

Explore the landscape around Midlothian

Aubrey generates in-depth historical research for any location in Britain — drawing on Domesday records, scheduled monuments, Victorian OS maps, geological data and archaeological archives to tell the full story of a place.

Research a location near Midlothian