Battle of Inverurie

Battle of Inverurie

Part of: Scottish Wars of Independence

The Grenago Stane, next to which, according to legend, the Earl of Buchan threw himself down crying after his defeat

date	May 22, 1308 to May 23, 1308
place	Inverurie
output	Decisive victory for Robert Bruce

Parties to the conflict
Kingdom of Scotland	Kingdom of England
Commander
King Robert I.	John Comyn, 7th Earl of Buchan
Troop strength
700	1000
losses
unknown, probably minor	unknown, probably high

The Battle of Inverurie (also Battle of Barra ) was a battle of the First Scottish War of Independence . On May 22nd and 23rd, 1308, the Scottish King Robert Bruce was able to decisively defeat his domestic political opponent John Comyn, 7th Earl of Buchan at Inverurie . According to older information, the battle took place on December 23, 1307.

prehistory

After the English King Edward I died in July 1307, his son and successor Edward II broke off the campaign to Scotland in August and withdrew to England. This reduced the military pressure on Robert Bruce, who had risen to become King of Scotland in March 1306. Bruce's claim to the throne was not undisputed even among the Scottish nobles. On the one hand, many nobles rejected Bruce because he disregarded the claim to the throne of John Balliol , who was deposed in 1296 , but above all many condemned the murder of John Comyn, Lord of Badenoch in February 1306 by Bruce. After the military pressure of the English on Bruce had subsided, he moved from south-west Scotland to north-east Scotland in September 1307 to eliminate his Scottish opponents. First he captured Inverness , Nairn and Urquhart Castle , whereupon the Earl of Ross concluded a truce with him. Bruce then turned against John Comyn, 7th Earl of Buchan. This was a cousin of John Comyn of Badenoch, who was murdered by him, and his most important domestic political opponent.

Confrontation with the troops of the Earl of Buchan at Slioch

Bruce moved to Inverurie, the most important burgh of Garioch , with an army of about 700 men in early November . There he became so ill that his followers feared that he would die. For this purpose, the Earl of Buchan moved with an army towards his opponent. His army probably outnumbered Bruce's army, but consisted only of a posse from its own possessions, while Bruce's army already had combat experience from fighting the English. Given the condition of Bruce, his army withdrew to Slioch in Drumblade , where the sick Bruce had to be carried through the Foudland Hills on a stretcher . In mid-November the army set up camp next to a forest. At that time there was already snow, the soldiers could not find enough food in the region and the king's condition continued to deteriorate. The Earl of Buchan had pursued his adversary but avoided an open battle. However, his archers began shooting at Bruce's soldiers. The archers of Bruce's army shot back, but after three days Bruce's army withdrew in an orderly manner, whereupon Buchan withdrew the obviously strong and disciplined army and withdrew to Buchan to bring in reinforcements.

Battle of Inverurie

Bruce, still ill, was taken to Strathbogie , where he recovered. The Comyns thought he was on the run, but added to the crew of Coull Castle in Aberdeenshire . The allied with them John Mowbray accepted a limited truce with Bruce until the end of February 1308. After its expiry attacked the forces of Bruce Mortlach , Tarradle and Skelbo Castle and renewed from April 7, 1308 the siege of Elgin Castle , which had been broken off the previous year. Although Bruce had not fully recovered, he led his army back to Inverurie in May. After the army had reached the city, the Earl of Buchan appeared again with his contingent before the city. But he hesitated to attack and moved into Oldmeldrum . The next morning Sir David of Brechin made an advance on Inverurie without consulting Buchan, and his soldiers were able to kill some of Bruce's men. When Bruce found out about this, Bruce led his troops on horseback against the army of Buchan. The troops met at Barra Hill . The appearance of the seriously ill Bruce on horseback confused Buchan and his allies, including the Earl of Atholl and Sir John Mowbray , so that they backed away. This caused panic among his troops. When Bruce's army attacked, the soldiers of Buchan fled wildly to Fyvie . Buchan's army disbanded and he himself fled to England, where he died a few months later. Bruce systematically devastated Buchan's possessions. Followers of his were killed, their homes and supplies destroyed, and their cattle slaughtered. Then Bruce moved on to Moray .

consequences

After the defeat at Inverurie, members of the Comyn family , which had been the leading Scottish aristocratic family in the second half of the 13th century, fled Scotland. However, Robert Bruce was able to move on to Northern Scotland, which he brought under his control by mid-1308.

Web links

• Battlefield entry . In: Historic Scotland .

Individual evidence

1. ^ Geoffrey WS Barrow: Robert Bruce and the Community of the Realm of Scotland . Eyre & Spottiswoode, London 1965, p. 249.
2. ^ Geoffrey WS Barrow: Robert Bruce and the Community of the Realm of Scotland . Eyre & Spottiswoode, London 1965, p. 248.
3. ^ Ranald Nicholson: Scotland. The Later Middle Ages (The Edinburgh History of Scotland, Vol. II. ) Oliver and Boyd, Edinburgh 1974, ISBN 0-05-002038-2 , pp. 77-78.
4. ^ Geoffrey WS Barrow: Robert Bruce and the Community of the Realm of Scotland . Eyre & Spottiswoode, London 1965, p. 249.