WALLACE AT LOUDOUN HILL v v v Loudoun

WALLACE AT LOUDOUN HILL

v v v Loudoun Hill sits at the Eastern end of the Irvine Valley. The hill has been important throughout history, with an iron-age homestead at the foot of the south-east slope, and a Roman fort built nearby. In 1296 William Wallace defeated an English force at Loudoun Hill.

� The Scots, under Wallace, prepared to intercept a convoy of English soldiers making their way to Ayr. � Wallace hid his men behind the walls and ditches of the abandoned Roman fort. � The Scots made the way even narrower for the English by building stone dykes, which meant the attack on the English was more successful as the soldiers were tightly packed together.

§ § § Fenwick, the English general who had killed Wallace’s father was killed in the battle. The English troops were defeated, despite them outnumbering the Scots. All the English supplies, including war horses, weapons and 200 pack horses, which were being taken to their garrison in Ayr, fell into the hands of the Scots.

1297 Ø Ø Ø News of Wallace’s victory at Loudoun Hill led to the up-rising of 1297. This led to the Battle of Stirling Bridge, when Wallace led warriors from all over Scotland to victory against a very well equipped English army. In September 2004, the ‘Spirit of Scotland’ statue was unveiled at Loudoun Hill to recognise how important the area was during the Scottish Wars of Independence.