(This isn't a poem!!)

In 1303 Robert the Bruce and Red Comyn were rivals for the
Scottish throne.  Robert the Bruce was in Ireland and Red
Comyn led the Scot’s in their greatest defeat of the
English.  Bruce however, went on to take the Scottish
crown…and as we know, the victor always writes history,
very few Scots have therefore heard of the Battle of
Roslyn…

This is something ALL Scot’s should know…

In 1296, King Edward of England, outraged at the proposed
marriage of a Scottish noble’s daughter and a French
noble, ordered the invasion of Scotland, Berwick was the
first town in Scotland (in they days, but after this
invasion, it became part of England) there, his men hung
over 10,000 men, women and children from their own door
frames, to show what he was capable of…giving a clear
message to all that might oppose his will.

From here his men went to Dunbar to defeat a Scottish army,
and capture most of it’s leaders, making them swear
allegiance to the English crown before sending them home. 
Amongst these leaders was Sir Henry St.Clair.

Edward’s general, Sir John Seagrave, was commander of
Edinburgh castle, was in love with Lady Margaret Ramsay of
Dalhousie castle, but the Lady was in love with St.Clair,
this caused a problem for Seagrave.  After St.Clair and
Wallace’s victory at Stirling, Seagrave heard that
St.Clair was to marry Lady Margaret and asked Edward for
permission to invade Scotland.  Permission was granted.

The year was 1303, February 24th, and an army of 30,000
English men marched from Carlisle to Melrose, where they
split into three equal groups, to attack three different
targets: Borthwick Castle, Dalhousie Castle and Roslin
Castle.  By this time, an army of 8,000 Scots had formed at
Biggar, where they were fed by the monks, and marched on to
Roslin.

3,000 troops under the command of Sir Comyn went into hiding
in the woods on the bank of the river Esk, the remaining
5,000 crossed the river, and crept towards the first 10,000
sleeping English soldiers.  They charged with such ferocity,
that many were killed in their sleep…any that tried to
run, were attacked by the Scots in the woods…before dawn
broke any of the 10,000 survivors had surrendered and were
now hostages.  The Scots had next to no casualties, and over
2,000 hostages.

Next, the Scots headed to the 100ft summit of Langhill, near
Roslin, and as the next 10,000 English troops charged
towards the Scots, they were met by arrows and forced
backwards down the valley, mostly dying instantly, some left
to die slowly.  The Scot’s, then hearing the approach of
the third group of English soldiers, were forced to slit the
throats of all their hostages to avoid being attacked from
behind.  The Scots were now shattered as they had marched
through the night, and fought two battles.   The men were
ready to give up, and admit defeat, but the cleaver Prior
Abernethy had dispatched some monks the previous day to
erected a giant St.Andrews cross on the highest point of 
The Pentland Hills, in front of the sunrise, giving the
effect of a fiery cross, this inspired the men, and they
marched on.  This time, attacking the English men with such
force, that most of them died before they could even strike
a blow, the remainders surrendered and fled back to England.
 Only ten percent of the 30,000 men survived, that is 3000
men!  Still, most of the 8000 Scots survived.  The
remainders of the hostages were allowed to return to
England, without weapons, if they swore never to take up
arms against Scotland again.

And so, this was the end of one of the largest battles of
independence in history.  Yet hardly any Scots know about it
today…it is interesting that.  Bruce wasn’t at the
battle, he didn’t help us win, so he chose not to enter it
into our history books…but it happened.  Visit Roslin,
there is a monument and everything!!

And!  If it weren’t for our tremendous victory at Roslin,
there would have been 30,000 extra English men fighting at
Banockburn, and Bruce would have probably lost.  We would
never have won our independence at all!!

Please, pass this on to everyone you know.  Maybe we need to
write our own history!!  Every Scot should know this!

P.S.  I stay in Midlothian, and the most significant victory
the Scots ever had against the English took place in
Midlothian.  I had never heard of this!  Imagine, after the
battle, William Wallace probably passed my house on his way
from Roslin to Dalkieth for a pint!!