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LOWLAND SCOTLAND


BATTLEFIELD AND MILITARY HERITAGE 

If you are  looking for something to do for an afternoon while on holiday somewhere in Britian, we can find a local expert guide for the battlefield and arrange a tour for you.  

 

Scene of repeated border conflicts with the English, and later of Jacobite rebellions. The Lowlands also contain Scotland's national museums and many impressive castles 


Events in Lowland Scotland

If you are planning a tour to Britian, and would like to take in some of the spectacle of our military heritage we can help you to take advantage of the dozens of re-enactment and other events staged around the country.


We will be adding an events calendar so you can see what is on and where!

The Gordon Highlanders Museum, Aberdeen

The museum holds the regimental treasures of The Gordon Highlanders, from 1794 to 1994. Its  collections include weapons, uniforms, silver and 4000 medals, among them 12 Victoria Crosses, along with film and photographic exhibitions. The Highlanders were merged with Scotland’s five other infantry regiments to form The Royal Regiment of Scotland in 2006.

 

Battlefield of Falkirk I

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In response to the English defeat at Stirling Bridge, Edward I raised a new army to invade Scotland in 1298. A Scots Army led by William Wallace and consisting largely of spearmen, was attacked first by the English cavalry and then longbowmen. The hail of arrows was decisive and the Scots were overwhelmed. The site of the battle is disputed but most likely to the south of Callendar Wood.

Battlefield of Falkirk Muir 1746

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The penultimate battle of the Second Jacobite Rising and a victory for the rebel forces, following their retreat from England into Scotland. A government force under Henry Hawley set out to relieve Stirling Castle and met Lord George Murray's Jacobite army at Falkirk. The battle was a confused affair and the Jacobites failed to capitalise on their victory. The battlefield, a high moor to the south of Falkirk, is one of the best preserved of its era. A monument stands near the ravine to the north of the site.

Dumfries and Galloway Aviation Museum

A volunteer-operated aviation museum based around the restored control tower at the former RAF Dumfries. It has a collection of aircraft, aero engines, artefacts and personal memorabilia concerning airborne forces, both civil and military. A new display representing aviation in Scotland and a mock-up of a WWII living room are now complete.

Caerlaverock Castle

A triangular castle with a twin-towered gatehouse, surrounded by a moat. Located on the south coast of Scotland, with England just the other side of the Solway Firth, Caerlaverock was a key defensive position in the long-running border conflicts. Besieged many times, notably by Edward I in 1300, its last siege was in 1640 during the Civil War when the garrison held out against the Protestant Covenanter army for 13 weeks

Montrose Air Station Heritage Centre

The first operational military airfield in Great Britain was set up in Montrose by the Royal Flying Corps in 1913. The heritage centre located on the former airfield holds a collection of contemporary photographs, artefacts and memorabilia that tell the story of RFC/RAF Montrose and the men and women who served there through two world wars. 

National Museum of Flight, East Fortune

Situated at East Fortune Airfield, which played a major role in both World Wars, the National Museum of Flight covers both civil and military aviation. The Fortunes of War exhibition uses personal testimony from RAF crew, photographs, film and unique artefacts to recreate life at this historic military airfield. Exhibits include a Sopwith Cuckoo, the original painted gate from the Royal Naval Air Station and relics from R34, East Fortune's record-breaking airship. 

 

Battle of Sheriffmuir

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This key engagement of the 1715 Jacobite Rebellion took place on high ground to the east of Dunblane on 13 November 1715.. The Earl of Mar's Jacobite army outnumbered the government forces, but the outcome was inconclusive. Both sides claimed victory, but it was a strategic win for the Hanoverians as the Jacobite advance was halted and the uprising faltered. Two monuments mark the site, much of which remains open farm and moorland, though parts have been covered by forestry

National War Museum Edinburgh

Housed within Edinburgh Castle, the museum tells the story of Scotland at war, from the field of battle to the Home Front, told through military artefacts and personal collections. Displays include uniforms, insignia and equipment, medals, decorations, weapons, paintings, ceramics and silverware. Documents and photographs include both private and regimental pictures, personal diaries and official documents.

Stirling Castle

Perched on a crag with cliffs on three sides, guarding what was once the lowest crossing point on the River Forth, Stirling Castle was frequently besieged. In the Scottish Wars of Independence the castle changed hands eight times in 50 years, and two major battles – Bannockburn and Stirling Bridge – were fought nearby. The castle exhibition traces its fortunes and those of its royal residents including Mary Queen of Scots. Among other attractions, the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders Regimental Museum holds exhibits and memorabilia from conflicts worldwide, including the Boer War and the First World War.

Bothwell Castle

Built in the 13th century this now ruined castle was much contested in the Wars of Independence. It was several times besieged, most famously by Edward I in the great siege of 1301 using a siege engine called 'le berefrey'. Edward prevailed but the Scots retook Bothwell after Bannockburn. Following the last recorded siege in 1337 the castle's great tower, or donjon, was split in half but what remains is still impressive. It overlooks the River Clyde in South Lanarkshire.

Edinburgh Castle

With its dramatic situation high above the city and terrific views over the Firth of Forth, Edinburgh Castle is one of Scotland's most visited attractions. It dates from at least as far back as the 12th century and by the 17th century its main role was as a military base. It houses two regimental museums, The Royal Scots Museum and The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards Museum, as well as the National Museum of War and the Scottish National War Memorial, along with the famous Mons Meg cannon and the One O Clock Gun.

Battlefield of Prestonpans

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The first battle of the 1745 Jacobite Rising proved a clear victory for the rebel Highlanders under Bonnie Prince Charlie. The defeat of the Government forces gave a great boost to the Jacobites who then marched into England. A cairn memorial marks the site of the battle which was fought on flat open land surrounded by marshes. Today parts of the battlefield have been developed but key features of the landscape, such as the wagonway running through the site, can still be seen

St Andrews Castle 

Standing on a headland on the east coast, the castle was built in the 12th century as a residence and fortress for the bishops and archbishops of St Andrews. It was destroyed and rebuilt a number of times during the Wars of Independence. Later it was used as a prison and the notorious Bottle Dungeon, cut out of the rock, can still be visited. The castle was also contested during the Scottish Reformation when John Knox was one of the defenders in the great siege of 1546-7. Today the castle is ruined but there is a visitor centre and exhibition.

Battle of Stirling Bridge

A key Scottish victory in the Wars of Independence (1297). Scots forces led by Andrew Moray and William Wallace swept down on the English troops that had just crossed the narrow bridge at Stirling and inflicted a heavy defeat upon them. The medieval wooden bridge stood just upstream from the existing stone bridge. Much of the battlefield has been built over but there is some open ground close to the bridge. The Wallace Monument, upon Abbey Craig at the northern end of the bridge, contains displays about the life of Wallace.

Battle of Bannockburn

A decisive battle in the Scottish Wars of Independence and an iconic Scottish victory. Over two days in 1314 Robert the Bruce defeated Edward II's larger English Army that had come to relieve Stirling Castle. Edward was forced to flee and Bruce gained control of Scotland. The Heritage Centre at the battlefield is being rebuilt ahead of the 700th anniversary and reopens in March 2014. A monument and a statue of Robert the Bruce stand near the site of the first day's battle; the location of the second day's action is a matter of dispute.

BattleofDunbar(1296)

An English victory, the first major battle of the First Scottish War of Independence. For a brief while it put an end to organised Scots resistance and gave effective control of Scotland to Edward I. The battle, a brief but decisive clash between mounted knights, took place to the south west of the  besieged Dunbar Castle. The battlefield, mostly agricultural land, has seen little modern development but there is no on-site memorial.