Latest / The Story of Scotland: Clans, Crowns, and the Fight for Identity — Fexingo History / The Battle of Pinkie: Scotland's Forgotten Defeat
Transcript
- Lucas: So, we've talked a lot about the big battles that Scotland remembers — Bannockburn, Stirling Bridge, even Flodden. But there's one massive defeat, a total catastrophe, that tends to get overlooked. I'm talking about the Battle of Pinkie Cleugh, fought on the 10th of September, 1547. Luna: Pinkie Cleugh — I've heard the name, but honestly I know almost nothing about it. Lucas: That's exactly why I wanted to cover it. It was fought near Musselburgh, along the River Esk, just east of Edinburgh. And it was part of this bizarre episode called the 'rough wooing' — Henry VIII trying to force a marriage between his son Edward and the infant Mary Queen of Scots. When the Scots said no, Henry sent an army north. Luna: Wait — Henry VIII died in January 1547, didn't he? So this was after his death? Lucas: Right. Henry died in January, but his son Edward VI was only nine, so the regent — Edward Seymour, the Duke of Somerset — continued the war. He led the invasion personally. And the Scots, under the regent James Hamilton, the Earl of Arran, raised a huge army to stop him. Some estimates say 25,000 men — maybe the largest Scottish army ever assembled up to that point. Luna: That's enormous. What went wrong? Lucas: Well, quite a lot. Somerset was a capable general, and he had a very modern army for the time — heavy cavalry, archers, and a lot of artillery. The Scots, by contrast, were armed mostly with pikes and swords, and they relied on the old schiltron formation. But the real problem was the terrain and the English tactics. Lucas: The Scots took up a strong position on a hill called Falside Brae, overlooking the Esk. They thought the English would have to cross the river under fire. But Somerset sent a cavalry force — the 'gentlemen pensioners,' his personal bodyguard — to cross upstream and attack the Scots from the flank. Meanwhile, his ships in the Firth of Forth started bombarding the Scottish position from the sea. Luna: So they were caught between the navy and the cavalry. That's a nightmare. Lucas: Exactly. But the real disaster came when the Scots tried to advance. They moved down the hill, and as they did, they got bogged down in some marshy ground. The English artillery opened up with cannon fire — it was one of the first battles in British history where gunpowder weapons were the decisive factor. The Scots were cut down in huge numbers. Thousands died, many drowned trying to flee across the Esk. Lucas: After the battle, Somerset marched on Edinburgh and burned the city, then occupied key strongholds like Borthwick Castle. The Scots were forced to send Mary to France for safety — she ended up marrying the French dauphin, which set the stage for all kinds of trouble later. Luna: That's fascinating. But why is Pinkie so forgotten? Bannockburn is celebrated, Flodden is remembered as a tragedy — but this was arguably even worse for Scotland. Lucas: I think partly because it's so embarrassing — a huge army, annihilated by a smaller English force, and it happened so fast. Also, it didn't lead to any lasting change. The rough wooing ultimately failed, Mary stayed in France, and the English pulled back. So it was a bloody battle with no real outcome. Lucas: And there's a controversial figure I want to mention: George Gordon, the Earl of Huntly. He was a powerful Catholic lord, and he arrived late to the battle — or possibly deliberately held back. Some historians think he sabotaged the Scottish effort because he opposed the regent Arran. Others say he just misjudged the timing. Either way, his inaction cost thousands of lives. Luna: So it's not just a military defeat — it's also a story of political infighting and mistrust. Lucas: Exactly. And that's a theme that runs through so much of Scottish history — the clans and nobles fighting among themselves even when the English are at the door. Lucas: You know, honestly, if this episode was worth a coffee to you, that's the link — buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. It's a small thing that really helps keep the show ad-free. Luna: Yeah, totally. Every bit of support makes a difference. Lucas: So back to Pinkie — one of the most striking things is how modern the battle was. The English used coordinated infantry, cavalry, and artillery, plus naval support. The Scots were still fighting the way they had at Flodden thirty years earlier. It was a clash of military eras. Luna: And the casualty figures — do we have reliable numbers? Lucas: English sources claim 6,000 to 10,000 Scots dead, while the English lost maybe 200. Even allowing for exaggeration, it was a slaughter. The English chroniclers describe the River Esk running red with blood. It's one of those battles that, if it had happened to the English, would be a national day of mourning. But because it's Scottish, it's almost forgotten. Luna: That's a really poignant point. Does anyone still mark it? Lucas: There's a small cairn near the battlefield, and local history groups do commemorations. But there's no big national remembrance. I think that says something about how Scotland chooses to remember its past — the victories get the statues, the defeats get footnotes. Lucas: And there's another layer: the battle is sometimes called 'Black Saturday' in Scottish tradition. That name alone tells you how devastating it was for the people who lived through it. Luna: That's a haunting image — a whole day stained black in memory. Lucas: Right. And it's a reminder that history isn't just about the glorious moments. Sometimes the disasters teach us more. Pinkie shows us how quickly a confident army can be shattered by technology, tactics, and poor leadership. Lucas: If you want to see the battlefield today, it's mostly built over — Musselburgh racecourse covers part of it. But you can still walk along the Esk and imagine the chaos. Or visit Borthwick Castle, which still stands and was held by the English after the battle. Luna: I'd love to see that. It sounds like one of those places where the past feels close. Lucas: It really is. And that's what I love about this show — finding those forgotten corners of history and bringing them back to light.