William Wallace legend

In the spring of 1297, after his wife had been murdered by the Sheriff of Lanark, William Wallace and a group of his supporters stole into the town late at night. Wallace made his way to the home of Hesilrig and gained revenge for the death of his beloved Marion. The garrison of English soldiers were put to the sword and from surrounding towns and villages men "who were bitter of heart, and weighed down by the burden of bondage flocked to his banner.
During the early summer months of 1297, Wallace and his volunteer army marched throughout Scotland capturing Castles and Towns, driving the invaders south. In their march north, the towns of Glasgow, Scone, Perth, Dundee and all the land north of the Forth an Clyde was Liberated by the Scottish army. Eventually they reached Aberdeen, routed the Garrison troops and "destroyed the fleet of 100 English ships".
On the 11th Sept 1297, William Wallace and that other noble Scottish Knight Andrew De Moray, along with patriots consisting mainly of the common people of Scotland charged down onto the field by Stirling bridge and flung themselves into "the mightiest army in christiandom." Against a force of 1,000 heavy cavalry and 50,000 foot soldiers, the volunteer Scottish Army fought and defeated the might of Edward Longshanks invading army.
The Scots fought with homemade weapons; knives, axes, wooden spears. But they fought for the survival of their nation, a desire for freedom and a belief in one man; William Wallace.


The enormous statue of Wallace at Dryburgh is the oldest in Scotland

The battle of Stirling bridge, 1297

Early in September the Scottish army, led By William Wallace and Andrew Murray, took up position on Abbey Craig, overlooking the timber bridge over the Forth, a short way upstream of the present bridge. They bided their time, knowing that the English, under the command of The Earl of Surrey, had at some stage to cross that bridge. Eventually, on 11 September, the English began to cross. Wallace and Murray held off until the enemy were well on the bridge, and then they gave the order to charge. The English cavalry, struggling two abreast across the narrow causeway, were caught in the trap. Some were killed outright, others were drowned, and only a lucky few got away. Hugh Cressingham. Edward I of England's Treasurer, was killed and his body skinned. Alas for the Scots, Andrew Murray was badly injured in the battle and died of his wounds that November, and William Wallace lost his next battle against the English, at Falkirk, the following summer.

The Wallace Sword

The Real Sword of William Wallace?

The celebrated broadsword on display in the National Wallace Monument in Stirling is reputed to be that of Walllace. The blade itself is original, while the handle, which Wallaces is alleged to have adorned with the flayed skin of the hated English treasurer Cressingham, dates from 1505, When James IV ordered that the Wallace Sword should be re-covered .It is impossible to prove the case conclusively, but the sword, measuring over five feet, has been kept as a treasured relic for nearly 700 years because of its association with Wallace.

A Treasured Relic

The gigantic two-handed sword with which Wallace "made great room about him" in the fight always excites the visitor's wonderment and veneration.
From the top of the pommel to the point of the blade this great weapon measures 5 ft 4 ins(1.63 m 10.16 cm), and it must be remembered that the blade (which is still 4 ft 4ins/ 1.2 m 10.16 cm long) has been reduced by fracture and re-welding. The plain leather mounting of the handle is not original. This was added in 1825 in the tower of London when it was sent for repair. The sword weighed about 5.9 lbs(2.7 kilos), and the blade is over 2 ins(5.08 cm) broad at the top and narrows to 1 inch (6.5 cm) at the point. It weighs in its current condition approximately 6.5 lbs (2.9 kilos).
Today the sword is proudly on display on the first floor of the Monument, which also includes audio-visual presentations of the William Wallace story and the Battle of Stirling Bridge. A replica of the sword, made in 1984, now lies in the original case in the Hall of Heroes on the Monument's second floor, bearing the inscription "Battle of Stirling Bridge, fought 11th September, 1297," on one side, and "Sir William Wallace, died for his country, 23rd August 1305" on the other.