Latest / The Story of Scotland: Clans, Crowns, and the Fight for Identity — Fexingo History / The Lang Siege: Mary Queen of Scots' Last Hope
Transcript
- Lucas: So, Luna, we've talked before about Mary Queen of Scots and her dramatic return from France, her clash with John Knox, and her eventual flight to England. But her story doesn't end there. While she was imprisoned by Elizabeth, her supporters in Scotland—known as the Queen's Men—made a last stand at Edinburgh Castle. It turned into one of the longest and most brutal sieges in Scottish history: the Lang Siege. Luna: Lang Siege? That's a very Scottish name for it. Lucas: It is. They called it 'lang' because it dragged on for nearly two years—from 1571 to 1573. The castle was held by William Kirkcaldy of Grange, a man who had once been a trusted ally of Mary but had switched sides during the civil war. He was a skilled soldier, and he turned Edinburgh Castle into a fortress of the old Queen's cause. Luna: So this was after Mary abdicated and fled to England, right? Lucas: Exactly. She abdicated in 1567 after the murder of her husband Darnley and her forced marriage to Bothwell. Her infant son James was crowned king, with the Protestant Earl of Moray as regent. But Mary escaped from Loch Leven Castle in 1568, raised an army, was defeated at Langside, and fled to England. Elizabeth kept her prisoner, but her Catholic supporters in Scotland didn't give up. Luna: So Edinburgh Castle became the centre of resistance. Who else held it with Kirkcaldy? Lucas: Kirkcaldy was joined by other prominent Queen's Men, like the Duke of Hamilton and Lord Huntly. But the most interesting character might be Kirkcaldy himself. He had actually been one of the first to rally to Mary's side after Darnley's murder, but then he switched to the King's side for a while, only to switch back. He was deeply conflicted, but once he committed to holding the castle, he was immovable. Luna: What kind of defences did they have? Edinburgh Castle is pretty formidable even today. Lucas: It was one of the strongest fortresses in Britain, perched on that volcanic rock. The garrison had plenty of provisions at first, and they had artillery on the ramparts. But the real challenge was that the King's forces—under the regent, the Earl of Morton—controlled the town below. They tried to starve the castle out, but Kirkcaldy held out for months. Morton even brought in English troops, because Elizabeth was keen to see Mary's supporters crushed. Luna: English troops? So this was an international affair. Lucas: Absolutely. Morton had the backing of the English government—Elizabeth sent down a force under Sir William Drury, the marshal of Berwick, with heavy siege guns. They set up batteries on the surrounding hills, like the Calton Hill and Arthur's Seat, and started pounding the castle day and night. It must have been terrifying inside. Luna: Were there any attempts to breach the walls? Lucas: Oh yes. The main assault came in May 1573, after months of bombardment. Drury's gunners created a breach in the walls near the Forewall, and the attackers launched a direct assault. But Kirkcaldy's men fought them off with muskets and pikes. The defenders also tried mining—they dug tunnels under the castle walls to try to collapse them, but the attackers counter-mined. It was a medieval siege with early modern technology. Luna: It must have been desperate inside. How did it finally end? Lucas: By June, the garrison was starving. They had eaten all the horses and even the castle's dogs. Kirkcaldy had no choice but to negotiate a surrender. He asked for safe conduct for himself and his officers—that they be allowed to leave Scotland unharmed. Drury and Morton agreed, and the castle was handed over on 29 May 1573. Kirkcaldy walked out with his men, believing they would be spared. Luna: But they weren't spared, were they? Lucas: No. Despite the terms of surrender, Regent Morton had Kirkcaldy and his brother James arrested and hanged at the Market Cross in Edinburgh. It was a shocking act of betrayal. Morton argued that the safe conduct only applied to leaving the castle, not to treason against the king. It was a legalistic excuse, and it destroyed any trust in Morton's word. Kirkcaldy died bravely, insisting he had acted for his queen. Luna: That is brutal. And it probably sealed Morton's reputation as a ruthless leader. Lucas: It did. And it also marked the end of the Marian civil war. After the castle fell, the Queen's cause crumbled. Mary herself would die on the block in England fourteen years later. But the siege left a lasting mark on Edinburgh Castle too—the damage from the artillery and mining can still be seen in places. And it's a story of loyalty, desperation, and the harsh realities of 16th century politics. Luna: I'm glad we're telling this story. It's easy to forget the human cost behind the big names. Lucas: Exactly. And you know, telling these stories is only possible because of the support we get from listeners like you. If you've been enjoying our journey through Scottish history, you can help keep the show ad-free and independent at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. Even a small monthly contribution makes a real difference. Luna: Absolutely. It's a way of saying this matters to you. And it keeps us going without interruptions. Lucas: Right. So back to the siege: what happened to the castle after Kirkcaldy's fall? Morton strengthened the defences and it remained a royal fortress. But the memory of the Lang Siege lingered. Generations later, when the Jacobites rose, they remembered how a castle held out against all odds for a queen. It became a symbol of stubborn Scottish resistance. Luna: Symbolism that still resonates today, I think. Lucas: Absolutely. Every time you look up at Edinburgh Castle, you're looking at centuries of history: sieges, royal births, prisoner—but the Lang Siege stands out as a moment when loyalty to a queen defied an entire kingdom. It's a story of principle and bloody-mindedness, for better or worse. Luna: And it's a cautionary tale about trusting the promises of your enemies. Lucas: Exactly. So that's the Lang Siege—a forgotten epic in the shadow of Scotland's most famous fortress. Next time, we'll look at something else from Scotland's deep history. I'm thinking the Battle of Bannockburn, but maybe we'll find an even more surprising corner. Luna: I can't wait. Thanks, Lucas. Lucas: Thanks, Luna.