Battle of Linlithgow Bridge

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The Battle of Linlithgow Bridge happened on 4 September 1526 near Linlithgow, Scotland. It was part of a power struggle to control the young king James V. About 10,000 men were led by Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Lennox, and 2,500 were led by James Hamilton, 1st Earl of Arran.

Arran set up his force on Pace Hill overlooking Linlithgow and the River Avon. Lennox tried to outflank him by crossing the Avon at a ford upstream at Manuel Convent. Arran faced Lennox on the ridge, while Douglas’s reinforcements were on their way and King James V arrived later.

Lennox’s forces attacked across boggy ground and uphill. They nearly broke Arran’s defense, but the timely arrival of Douglas’s troops turned the tide. Many Lennox soldiers were killed, Lennox himself was wounded, and, according to legend, he surrendered and was murdered by James Hamilton of Finnart. A cairn marks the place associated with the murder.

After the battle, James V stayed under Douglas’s control until he escaped to Stirling in 1528. Douglas and his family lost their lands and fled to England. James V continued to rule Scotland until his death in 1542. The site is registered as a historic battlefield in Scotland.