Battle of Boroughmuir
Who Fought
Kingdom of Scotland: 300 knights, men-at-arms and archers
History & Significance
The Battle of Boroughmuir was fought on 30 July 1335 between Guy, Count of Namur, a cousin of Queen Philippa of England, and John Randolph, 3rd Earl of Moray and Guardian of Scotland. Namur was on his way to join Edward III on his invasion of Scotland, when he was intercepted on the common grazing ground to the south of Edinburgh – the Borough Muir. The fighting continued into the city itself, and concluded in a desperate struggle in the ruins of the old castle. Randolph was victorious in a fight which forms a small part of the Second War of Scottish Independence.
Ever since 1332 a part of Anglo-Scots nobles, known collectively as the 'disinherited', had been trying to establish Edward Balliol, son and heir of John Balliol, on the throne of Scotland in place of David II. These men, who had fought against Robert Bruce during the First war of Independence, were given the active support of the English. Yet despite two remarkable victories at the Battle of Dupplin Moor and the Battle of Halidon Hill, which came close to exterminating the governing class of Scotland, the Balliol party was not strong-or popular-enough to establish itself by its own means. Twice Edward Balliol had been seated on the Scottish throne, and twice had he been toppled off. In 1335 King Edward decided to make one great effort on behalf of his hapless and unlucky protégé, coming to Scotland himself at the head of an army, the largest to enter the country since his father came to Edinburgh in 1322.
By the second week of July the king had over 13000 men in arms at Newcastle. He was joined there by Edward Balliol, coming from Carlisle. A council of war was held and it was decided that Scotland would be enveloped in a vast pincer movement by land and sea. The army was divided in two: Edward was to command the invasion of Scotland from Carlisle, while Balliol moved northwards from Berwick. His progress would be supported by a strong naval force moving up the east coast towards the Firth of Tay, while Edward would have similar support from a force sailing from Ireland into the Firth of Clyde.
The purpose of the invasion was to find and destroy the Scottish army in the field, rather than take castles. Edward marched through Nithsdale, bypassing Loch Doon castle, still held for King David, and overran Carrick, Cunninghame and Kyle. In the meantime, Balliol moved quickly up the east coast into Lothian. Like a plague of biblical locusts his army consumed everything in its path. Letters of protection issued by Edward himself did nothing to protect Newbattle Abbey or Manuel Nunnery from destruction. In the Firth of Forth the abbey on the island of Inchcolm was destroyed by the English navy, which then proceeded north into the Tay, landing at Dundee, setting the town and its Franciscan friary alight. The looting and destruction of the friary caused the English author of the Lanercost Chronicle to drop his usual patriotic cloak and express his disapproval in a brief flourish of Christian solidarity. Towards the end of July the land arms of the pincer joined at Glasgow, having caught nothing of substance in their embrace and from there marched on to Perth.
The ground they fought on
The site of Battle of Boroughmuir lies on Inverclyde Group, bedrock that formed in the Osagean. The rock here is sandstone, siltstone and mudstone.
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- Battle of Boroughmuir · Wikidata
- Battle_of_Boroughmuir · Wikipedia