Unlike most sieges, Edward did not want to break the castle’s mighty walls just to gain a military advantage, Oliphant had already given up. This was not merely a military operation. The siege had shown the overwhelming resources Edward had at his disposal and his attitude towards Scotland. Oliphant and his men were publicly humiliated and sent to England for imprisonment. When its 140kg missile was released, it shattered Stirling Castle’s curtain wall. The fearsome engine was christened the “Warwolf”. He had a gallery constructed for the ladies of the court to view this humiliating spectacle. This was to be the final nail in the coffin of the Scots and he wanted them to know it. However, Edward was not in a particularly generous mood. He surrendered in an attempt to save his men and the castle from the destructive power of Edward’s hugely expensive new toy. When Oliphant saw it in its final stages of construction he knew that it was over. Little did he know that Edward’s engineers had been working on something special…įive master carpenters and 50 workmen had been tirelessly assembling massive wooden beams, winches and an enormous counterweight into one of the largest trebuchets ever. The defences were holding out and still had plenty of salted beef to feed the men. Oliphant must have been fairly surprised too. For three months, Edward watched on as the catapults flung boulders and fire at the castle walls. The underdogsĪgainst all odds, Stirling Castle held out against Edward’s siege. It’s possible that Bruce’s experience at Stirling contributed to his policy of destroying castles during his own campaign against England. In fact, he provided Edward with several siege engines. Robert the Bruce, the future king of Scots, was said to have been present during at least part of the siege. 13 catapults and trebuchets hurled projectiles at the castle day and night. The Scots were to be left with no doubt about what another uprising would bring. To do so, he arranged possibly the largest array of siege engines ever assembled by the kingdom of England. When the bombardment began, the “Hammer of the Scots” appears to have wanted to simply pummel this last stronghold of Scottish independence into submission. He was able to get their agreement to not supply the Stirling garrison. Considering that de Soules was in France at the time, his request was unsurprisingly denied.Įdward was not a man known for his subtlety, especially in military matters, yet he made sure to obtain submissions from the Scots, and granted their lands back in order to ensure cooperation. With the English king’s arrival, Oliphant attempted to delay the inevitable by asking for permission to send a messenger to the guardian of Scotland, John de Soules. By the time Edward arrived at Stirling on the 22 April, the siege was ready to begin. On top of “all the iron and great stones of Glasgow”, five carts from Brechin, 12 from Dunfermline and 22 from St Andrews arrived at the castle filled with lead to be used by the English engineers for their siege engines. Materials for siege engines were shipped from Newcastle and Edward ordered the churches in Scotland to strip their roofs of lead and send it to Stirling. Edward did not just want men, though Stirling was one of the most defensible castles in Scotland and it would require more than bows and arrows alone for it to fall. They were also told not to allow their people to try and provision the garrison. Scottish earls and lords were ordered to send men and horses to Stirling to assist the siege effort. Now, he could order his Scottish subjects to help him take their individual castles. He no longer had to rely on troops and supplies from England alone. Preparations began to extinguish the final glimmer of resistance in Scotland.Įdward decided to flex his authority in Scotland as he prepared to travel to Stirling. In March, Edward had the garrison declared outlaws at his parliament at St Andrews. On the ramparts, he still defiantly flew the Lion Rampant flag, a symbol of the Scottish crown. Sir William Oliphant was the governor and held the castle with about 25 men. Only at Stirling Castle did any resistance to English overlordship remain. The Scottish nobles had surrendered, submitting to Edward’s rule in exchange for their lands back. William Wallace was hiding in the countryside, soon to be betrayed to the English by his fellow Scots. Nearly all of Scotland had been reconquered by Edward I. Read on as we explore this important episode in Stirling Castle’s history. Have you seen Outlaw King? Do you remember the bit at the beginning of the film where Bruce looks on as a giant trebuchet flings a pot of “Greek fire” at Stirling Castle? It might surprise you to find out that it’s quite likely that this happened! This siege of Stirling marked the end of Scottish resistance to Edward at the time.
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