BattlefieldsRoxburgh Castle Captured by James Douglas 1314
Medieval

Roxburgh Castle Captured by James Douglas 1314

1314
Scotland
Era
Medieval
Battle Type
Pitched Battle
Location
Scotland
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
English garrison of Roxburgh Castle
Forces
English garrison of Roxburgh Castle
VS
Victor
Scottish forces under James Douglas
Forces
James Douglas commanding small Scottish escalade party
Outcome
Roxburgh Castle taken by stealth; English garrison killed; fortress demolished; significant English stronghold on the Tweed eliminated before Bannockburn
The Battle

History & Significance

On the night of Shrove Tuesday in February 1314, James Douglas and a small party of men in black cloaks crept beneath the walls of Roxburgh Castle while the English garrison celebrated Shrove Tuesday inside. Posing as cattle in the dark, they raised ladders and scaled the walls, killing the guards before an alarm could be raised. The castle was taken by a handful of men through pure stealth. As with other Scottish castles, it was demolished to prevent re-occupation by the English.

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