Battle of Lochmaben Fair

Who Fought

History & Significance

The Battle of Lochmaben Fair was an engagement in Lochmaben, Scotland, on 22 July 1484 between Scottish loyalists to James III of Scotland and the rebels Alexander Stewart, Duke of Albany and James Douglas, 9th Earl of Douglas, leading cavalry from England. Both exiles from Scotland, Albany and Douglas invaded with permission but not support of Richard III of England, hoping to encourage rebellion against James. Instead, they were met with armed resistance. The loyalists took the day. Douglas was captured and Albany forced to retreat.

The unpopular Scottish king James III had been imprisoned in Edinburgh Castle following his arrest by his own nobles at Lauder Bridge in July 1482. Alexander Stewart, Duke of Albany, his younger brother, soon took control of the government, but his power was short-lived. Through bribery and the support of such powerful individuals as George Gordon, 2nd Earl of Huntly, James III regained his throne, and Albany was forced to flee, first in January 1483 to Dunbar and then on 9 April to England. Douglas, a rebel against Albany's father James II of Scotland, had resided in England since his lands had been forfeit to the crown in 1455. There, in the employ of Edward IV of England, he had become a Knight of the Garter.

The recently crowned English king Richard III initially planned to invade Scotland, but with other matters of state taking precedence instead only gave his permission for Albany and Douglas to launch an invasion on their own. The pair did so, bringing 500 horsemen to Lochmaben on 22 July 1484 during the annual fair. Though Albany and Douglas had hoped to incite the Scots to rebel against James, instead the townspeople took to arms against them, soon receiving assistance from the gentry in the area. The rebel cavalry routed, Albany retreated to France, while Douglas was captured.

Calendar of Documents Relating to Scotland, 1357–1509, ed. J. Bain, 1888.

Ridpath, J., The Border History of England and Scotland, 1810.

The ground they fought on

The site of Battle of Lochmaben Fair lies on Stewartry Group, bedrock that formed in the Early Permian. The rock here is sandstone, breccia and conglomerate.

Frequently Asked Questions

Scheduled Monuments near Battle of Lochmaben Fair

Castle Hill, motte-and-bailey castle

Scheduled monument · Medieval · ~0.3 mi

Castle Hill is a motte-and-bailey castle occupying a prominent position in Dumfriesshire, Scotland. The monument consists of the earthwork remains typical of this castle form: a substantial mound, or motte, likely originally crowned with a timber or stone structure, accompanied by an adjoining ba…

Gallaberry Hill, fort

Scheduled monument · Iron Age · ~2.1 mi

Gallaberry Hill is a Iron Age fort situated in Dumfriesshire, in south-west Scotland. The site occupies a commanding hilltop position where the underlying bedrock comprises sandstone, breccia and conglomerate of the Stewartry Group, laid down during the Early Permian period. This solid geological…

Torwood, enclosure 270m SW of

Scheduled monument · Post-Medieval · ~2.4 mi

Torwood enclosure is a post-medieval earthwork situated in Dumfriesshire, south-west Scotland. The monument consists of an enclosed area defined by banks and ditches typical of early modern agricultural or pastoral management. It lies on bedrock of the Stewartry Group, Early Permian sandstone, br…

Murder Loch,Roman fortlet 120m NNW of Ivy Cottage

Scheduled monument · Iron Age · ~3.7 mi

Murder Loch is a Roman fortlet located 120 metres north-north-west of Ivy Cottage in Dumfriesshire, Scotland. The site sits upon bedrock of the Hawick Group, a Wenlock-age wacke formation that provided the local stone for Roman construction in this region. Protected by Historic Environment Scotla…

Range Castle, fort

Scheduled monument · Iron Age · ~3.8 mi

Range Castle is a hillfort of Iron Age date situated in Dumfriesshire, Scotland. The monument occupies a defensible position on bedrock of the Hawick Group, a hard wacke formation of Wenlock age that provides a naturally strong foundation for fortification. The site exploits the geological streng…

Moss Castle, fort

Scheduled monument · Iron Age · ~4.1 mi

Moss Castle is a Iron Age fort situated in Dumfriesshire, Scotland. The monument occupies ground underlain by Hawick Group wacke, the same sedimentary rock that forms the moorland bedrock of the surrounding region. This stone-rich landscape would have provided abundant material for the constructi…

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Battles near Battle of Lochmaben Fair

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• Battle of Lochmaben Fair · Wikidata
• Battle_of_Lochmaben_Fair · Wikipedia