Latest / The Story of Scotland: Clans, Crowns, and the Fight for Identity — Fexingo History / The Wars of Independence: William Wallace and the Battle of Stirling Bridge
Transcript
- Lucas: So we've covered a lot of Scottish history on this show—from the Picts to the Jacobites, from the Stone of Destiny to the Darien Scheme. But there's one figure who looms so large in the national imagination that we haven't yet done a full episode on him, partly because his story is so tangled in legend. Luna: You mean William Wallace, right? Lucas: Exactly. William Wallace. Braveheart. But the real man is far more interesting than the Mel Gibson version, and his most famous battle—Stirling Bridge—is one of the most remarkable upsets in medieval military history. So let's set the scene. It's 1296. Scotland is in chaos. King Alexander III died in 1286, then his granddaughter, the Maid of Norway, died in 1290. That triggered the succession crisis we talked about in episode 61. Luna: Right, the one where Edward I of England was asked to adjudicate and chose John Balliol. Lucas: Exactly. Edward used that as an excuse to assert overlordship over Scotland. Balliol was humiliated, rebelled, and was crushed. By 1296, Edward had invaded, sacked Berwick, defeated the Scots at Dunbar, and forced Balliol to abdicate. He then marched through Scotland, collecting submissions and taking the Stone of Destiny from Scone. Scotland was effectively an English province. Luna: And that's when Wallace steps in. Lucas: Yes. But Wallace wasn't a commoner in the Hollywood sense. He was a minor knight, probably from Elderslie in Renfrewshire. He had some education, and he'd likely had some military training. What sparked his rebellion is murky—there's the story of his wife being killed by English soldiers, but that's from a later poem by Blind Harry, written 150 years after. What we know is that in May 1297, Wallace and a band of men killed the English sheriff of Lanark, William de Heselrig. That was the match. Luna: So an act of personal vengeance became a political rebellion. Lucas: Seems that way. But Wallace wasn't alone. In the north, another leader had risen: Andrew Moray. He was the son of a noble family from Moray, and he had been captured by the English but escaped. Moray raised a rebellion in the north, capturing castles like Inverness and Urquhart. Meanwhile, Wallace operated in the south, attacking English supply lines and small garrisons. By late summer, their forces merged, and they faced the English army near Stirling. Luna: Now, the Battle of Stirling Bridge. Why is the bridge so important? Lucas: Because the terrain dictated everything. The English army, led by John de Warenne, Earl of Surrey, and Hugh de Cressingham, the English treasurer in Scotland, was numerically superior and had heavy cavalry and archers. The Scots were mostly infantry, armed with spears. They were positioned on the north side of the River Forth. The only crossing was a narrow wooden bridge near Stirling Castle. The English had to cross that bridge to engage the Scots. Luna: So the bottleneck gave the Scots a huge advantage. Lucas: Huge. The English knights could only cross two or three abreast. The Scots waited until about half the English force had crossed, then Wallace and Moray attacked. The Scottish spearmen charged downhill, catching the English knights in a marshy area where they couldn't manoeuvre. The knights were slaughtered. Those who hadn't crossed yet were trapped on the south bank. Cressingham was killed, and his body was flayed—his skin was reportedly used to make a belt for Wallace's sword. Luna: That's gruesome but also a powerful symbol. Lucas: Absolutely. The victory sent shockwaves across Britain. The Scots had defeated a professional English army using disciplined infantry and smart tactics. After the battle, Wallace was knighted and declared Guardian of Scotland, ruling in the name of the exiled John Balliol. But the partnership with Moray was short-lived—Andrew Moray had been mortally wounded during the battle and died a few months later. Luna: So Wallace was left as the sole leader. Lucas: Yes, and he had a huge target on his back. Edward I, furious, returned from campaigning in France and personally led an invasion in 1298. The two armies met at Falkirk. This time, Edward used a new weapon—the longbow. The English archers decimated the Scottish schiltrons, the tight spear formations that had worked so well at Stirling. The Scottish cavalry fled, and Wallace's infantry were cut down. It was a devastating defeat. Luna: And Wallace resigned as Guardian after that, right? Lucas: He did. He went to France to seek support, but nothing came of it. For the next few years, he evaded capture, but in 1305, he was betrayed by a Scottish knight, John de Menteith, and handed over to the English. He was taken to London, tried for treason—though he argued he had never sworn allegiance to Edward—and executed in a horrific manner: hanged, drawn, and quartered. His head was displayed on London Bridge, his limbs sent to different corners of Scotland. Luna: A brutal end, but his legacy inspired Robert the Bruce and the later wars. Lucas: Exactly. Wallace became a martyr. The memory of his resistance kept the flame of Scottish independence alive. When Bruce claimed the throne in 1306, he stood on Wallace's shoulders. And eventually, the Declaration of Arbroath in 1320 echoed Wallace's defiance. Luna: It's remarkable how one man's rebellion turned into a national movement. Lucas: And we should remember that he didn't do it alone. Andrew Moray was equally important, but history often focuses on Wallace because of the later romanticisation. Blind Harry's poem in the 15th century turned him into a folk hero, and that image persisted. Luna: And then there's Braveheart in the 1990s, which took massive liberties. Lucas: Huge liberties. The film has Wallace sleeping with the Princess of Wales, which never happened. He wore a kilt, which wasn't common in the 13th century. And the Battle of Stirling Bridge was fought without the bridge—they just fought in a field. But the film did capture the spirit of resistance. Luna: So for anyone coming with us through these conversations about European history, we try to separate fact from fiction. Lucas: That's what we aim for. And because we do that without ads, we rely on listeners who appreciate that approach. If you want to keep these episodes free of interruptions, you can support the show at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. It's a simple way to help us keep doing what we do. Luna: Yeah, it really helps. And we're grateful to everyone who chips in. Lucas: So back to Wallace: after his death, the war continued. Robert the Bruce, who had initially fought for Edward, switched sides and claimed the Scottish throne. He used guerrilla tactics similar to Wallace's, but he also won a great set-piece battle at Bannockburn in 1314. That victory, combined with the Declaration of Arbroath, finally secured Scottish independence. Luna: But Wallace's role as a symbol never faded. Lucas: No. In fact, in the 19th century, the Wallace Monument was built near Stirling. It's a tower overlooking the site of his great victory. Inside is his supposed sword, a massive two-handed weapon that legend says was over five feet long. Whether it's truly his or not, it's a powerful relic. Luna: And the bridge itself, is there anything left? Lucas: A later stone bridge replaced the wooden one in the 15th century, but the site is still there, near Stirling Castle. When you stand there and imagine the English knights streaming across that narrow bridge, you realise how brilliantly Wallace and Moray used the landscape. Luna: It's one of those battles where the strategy is so clear, even centuries later. Lucas: Absolutely. And that's what makes military history fascinating—the interplay of terrain, tactics, and leadership. Wallace may not have been the perfect hero of legend, but he was a real man who took an incredible risk and won. Luna: And lost, but in a way that still inspires. Lucas: Exactly. His story is a reminder that history is never simple, but the fight for freedom is a powerful force.