View source for Sieges of Stirling Castle

{{Short description|Part of the First War of Scottish Independence}}
{{More citations needed|date=September 2008}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}}
{{Use British English|date=September 2010}}
There have been at least eight '''sieges of Stirling Castle''', a strategically important fortification in [[Stirling]], Scotland. Stirling is located at the crossing of the [[River Forth]], making it a key location for access to the north of Scotland.
The castle changed hands several times between [[Kingdom of England|English]] and [[Kingdom of Scotland|Scottish]] control during the [[Wars of Scottish Independence]]. In 1299, the castle was in English hands, when the constable, John Sampson, was besieged by the Scots. In 1304, [[Edward I of England]] besieged the Scots, deploying siege engines to force the garrison to surrender. In 1337, a siege by [[Andrew Murray (soldier)|Sir Andrew Murray]] failed to retake the castle. Between 1571 and 1585, the castle was besieged three times by Scots factions during the reign of [[James I of England|James VI]].<ref>Alexander Courtney, ''James VI, Britannic Prince: King of Scots and Elizabeth's Heir, 1566–1603'' (Routledge, 2024), pp. 25, 72, 83–86.</ref> In 1651, [[Oliver Cromwell]] captured the castle during his [[Third English Civil War|invasion of Scotland]]. The final siege took place in 1746, when [[Charles Edward Stuart]] besieged the castle during the [[Jacobite rising of 1745|final Jacobite rising]].
==Siege of 1304==
{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict          = Siege of Stirling Castle
| partof            = the [[First War of Scottish Independence]]
| image             = [[File:Ecosse200996-1.jpg|300px]]
| caption           = Stirling Castle in 2009
| date              = April 1304 – 24 July 1304<ref>M. Morris, A Great and Terrible King, 343</ref>
| place             = [[Stirling Castle]], Scotland
| result            = English victory
| combatant1        = [[Kingdom of Scotland]]
| combatant2        = [[Kingdom of England]]
| commander1        = [[Sir William Oliphant (died aft. 1313)|Sir William Oliphant]]
| commander2        = [[Edward I of England|King Edward I]]
| strength1         = 30 men
| strength2         = 12 siege engines
| casualties1       =
| casualties2       =
}}
{{Campaignbox First War of Scottish Independence}}
{{Campaignbox Wars of Scottish Independence}}
After the [[Battle of Falkirk (1298)|Battle of Falkirk]] in 1298, it took Edward I six years to gain full control of Scotland. The last stronghold of resistance to English rule was [[Stirling Castle]]. Armed with twelve [[siege engine]]s, the English laid siege to the castle in April 1304.<ref name="Scott">{{Citation |title= Robert the Bruce King of Scots | publisher= Hutchinson & Co | location=London | author= Ronald McNair Scott |year=1982}}</ref> For four months the castle was bombarded by lead balls (stripped from nearby church roofs), [[Greek fire]], stone balls, and even some sort of [[gunpowder]] mixture. Edward I had sulphur and saltpetre, components of gunpowder, brought to the siege from England.<ref>[http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/scotlandshistory/warsofindependence/castlessieges/index.asp "Castles and sieges", Foghlam Alba]</ref>
Impatient with the lack of progress, Edward ordered his chief engineer, Master [[James of St. George]], to begin work on a new, more massive engine called [[Warwolf]] (a [[trebuchet]]). The castle's garrison of 30, led by [[Sir William Oliphant (died aft. 1313)|William Oliphant]], eventually were allowed to surrender on 24 July after Edward had previously refused to accept surrender until the Warwolf had been tested.
Despite previous threats, Edward spared all the Scots in the garrison and executed only one Englishman who had previously given over the castle to the Scots.<ref>Marc Morris: Edward I, A Great and Terrible King</ref> Sir William Oliphant was imprisoned in the [[Tower of London]].
==Siege of 1746==
{{main|Siege of Stirling Castle (1746)}}
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sieges of Stirling Castle}}
[[Category:Wars of Scottish Independence]]
[[Category:Military history of Scotland]]
[[Category:History of Stirling (council area)]]
[[Category:Sieges involving Scotland|Stirling Castle]]
[[Category:1304 in Scotland]]
[[Category:Conflicts in 1304|Stirling Castle]]
[[Category:Edward I of England]]
[[Category:Battles between England and Scotland|Stirling Castle]]
[[Category:14th-century military history of Scotland|Stirling Castle]]
[[Category:14th-century military history of the Kingdom of England|Stirling Castle]]
[[Category:Stirling Castle]]