Latest / The Story of Scotland: Clans, Crowns, and the Fight for Identity — Fexingo History / The Flodden Disaster: Scotland's Day of Sorrow
Transcript
- Lucas: So we've talked a lot about Scotland's wars with England — the Wars of Independence, the Rough Wooing, Pinkie Cleugh — but there's one battle that stands out as perhaps the most devastating single day in Scottish history: Flodden. Luna: Flodden. I've heard the name, but I don't know much about it. Lucas: It's September 1513. Scotland is under James IV — a Renaissance king, a patron of learning, a builder of ships. He had a great fleet, the Great Michael, and he even dabbled in alchemy. But he was also bound by the Auld Alliance with France, and when Henry VIII invaded France in 1513, James had to honour his commitment. Lucas: He raised a massive army — perhaps 30,000 men, one of the largest Scotland had ever fielded. They crossed the border into England, captured a few castles, and then waited. The English army, under the elderly Earl of Surrey, marched north to meet them. Luna: So James had the advantage of numbers? Lucas: On paper, yes. But the battlefield he chose was a disaster waiting to happen. He positioned his army on a hill near the village of Branxton, but the summit was too narrow, and the ground in front was boggy. He also had modern artillery — huge guns like Mons Meg — but they were placed on the hilltop and couldn't be depressed to hit the English as they advanced. Lucas: The battle started with an artillery duel. The Scottish guns, firing downhill, mostly overshot. The English guns, firing upwards, raked the Scottish ranks. James ordered a charge. The Scottish infantry, armed with long pikes in the schiltron formation, came down the hill. Luna: Like at Bannockburn. Lucas: Right, the same tactic that worked so well against English cavalry. But this time the English had adapted. They used billmen — soldiers with a combined axe-spear weapon — and they were experts at hooking the pikes aside and striking into the gaps. The schiltron formation, usually so solid, began to break up on the muddy slope. Lucas: The fighting became desperate, hand-to-hand. James IV himself fought on foot, and he died surrounded by his bodyguard. It's said he was cut down within a spear's length of the English commander, Surrey. The king's body was taken to London, a trophy of victory. Luna: So the king was killed. That's a huge deal. Lucas: It was cataclysmic. Not just the king, but the Archbishop of St Andrews, 12 earls, 15 lords, and hundreds of lairds — the entire governing class of Scotland. The flower of the nation perished. In fact, the folk song 'Flowers of the Forest' commemorates exactly that loss. Luna: I've heard that tune. It's heartbreaking. Lucas: It's one of the most poignant laments in Scottish culture. And the political aftermath was just as grim. James IV's son, James V, was just an infant. Scotland faced a long regency, and the country was plunged into a generation of turmoil, with factions fighting for control. Luna: And all because of the Auld Alliance? Lucas: Partly. But also because James made some tactical errors. He ignored advice to withdraw, he chose a bad field, and he underestimated the English infantry. In a way, Flodden marks the end of the medieval style of warfare in Scotland — the pike charge would never again be the centrepiece of a Scottish army. Lucas: Something I find interesting is how the defeat was remembered. The English called it a great victory, but in Scotland, it became a symbol of national tragedy, not something to celebrate. It's a moment of deep sorrow, and it shaped the Scottish identity as a resilient but often hard-luck nation. Luna: It's amazing how a single battle can echo through centuries. Lucas: And it's because of stories like these that we keep doing this show ad-free. If that matters to you, you can support that choice at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. Luna: Yeah, knowing that listener support keeps us independent and free from commercial interruptions makes a difference. Lucas: So back to Flodden. The immediate aftermath saw a new wave of border raids and a deepening of the Anglo-Scottish hostility. But it also led, indirectly, to the eventual union of crowns under James VI, because the Stuarts never forgot the lesson of Flodden: don't pick a fight you can't win. Luna: So in a way, Flodden pushed Scotland toward the union? Lucas: Not directly, but it weakened the nobility and strengthened the crown's caution. James V, after his own disastrous defeat at Solway Moss, died young, leaving Mary Queen of Scots as an infant. The cycle of regency and instability continued, until eventually a Stewart king inherited England and everything changed. Lucas: Flodden remains a powerful memory. Even today, you can visit the battlefield and see the monument. It's a quiet, sobering place. And the 'Flowers of the Forest' still brings a tear to Scots' eyes. Luna: I'd like to visit it someday. Lucas: It's worth the trip. If you ever go, stand on Branxton Hill and think about what happened there. It's a reminder of the cost of honour and alliance, and how a few hours can change a nation's destiny.