Discover Lanarkshire's links with the Wars of Independence

Lanarkshire could make a strong claim on the title of Braveheart country for it was in Lanarkshire that William Wallace the celebrated 13th century Scottish patriot first drew his sword.

So very little is known for sure about Wallace. Did he for instance marry Marion Braidfute, from the village of Lamington, in Lanark’s St Kentigern’s Church? Did he dress as a tramp, sneak into Biggar to spy on the English before the Battle of Biggar? Blind Harry, in his epic poem, The Wallace said he did but historians are sceptical.

Wallace was more than 200 years dead by the time Blind Harry wrote his poem and the “facts” of the poem probably reflect the politics of Harry’s day rather than what actually happened in 1294.

What is known for sure is that Wallace attacked Lanark Castle, South Lanarkshire and killed Hesselrig, King Edward I’s sheriff of Lanark. It may have been an act of revenge for the execution of Marion or it may just have been part of Wallace’s grand plan of harassing the occupying English forces.

Wallace was successful but it was left to Robert the Bruce to finish the job with the help of Lanarkshire man Sir James Douglas. The Douglas clan was the most powerful in South-West Scotland and the village of Douglas remains their base to this day.

Sir James Douglas, whose father had been the first noble to support Wallace, was with Bruce from the beginning and was present at Bruce’s early defeats and his victory at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314.

Douglas lost his lands and castle to the English and in 1307 he relentlessly attacked his own castle. The most gruesome incident was when he mounted a surprise attack on Douglas Castle on Palm Sunday 1308 while the English were at church.

The severed English heads were placed on top of a bonfire of all the castle’s food and supplies were set alight – an incident nicknamed the Douglas Larder. Sir Walter Scott later dubbed the castle, Castle Dangerous.

Inevitably Sir James would die on the battlefield and he died at Teba in Spain fighting with the Spanish against the Moors. He was in Spain to fulfil a promise he had made to Robert the Bruce to take his heart on a crusade after his death.

The body of Sir James and the heart of Robert the Bruce were recovered and both were returned to Scotland. Sir James was laid to rest in old St. Bride’s church where his tomb topped with a carved effigy of the great warrior can be viewed.

Historic Places of Interest in South Lanarkshire
 

• Lanark Castle, Castlebank Park – only the mound on which the castles sat still exists and is now under the bowling green adjacent to the park.
• Battle of Loudoun Hill – an important victory over the English for Robert the Bruce in 1307. The battle site on the Lanarkshire-Ayrshire border is overlooked by the volcanic crags of Loudon Hill.
• Douglas Castle – only a ruined tower of Douglas Castle remains. Include on a pleasant walk around the castle policies and the Stable loch.
• Lanark Museum, 8 West Port, Lanark.
• Lamington Kirk - set in the wall of the kirk is a 12th century doorway through which Marion Braidfute may have entered the old church.
• Old St Bride’s Church, Douglas – the tomb of Sir James Douglas and the casket containing his heart are to be found within the church – key available locally.
• St Kentigern’s Church, Lanark – Saint Kentigern’s is a 13th century church in which Wallace may have married. It is also where the skirmish may have broken out. Access from Hyndford Road.