William Wallace

[Holy War]

The map of Ayrshire below dates from 1775, the time of Robert Burns. It shows no trace of "Ellerslie" to the South East of "Corshouse" (later Crosshouse) near the bottom right of the map.

[Holy War]

The map of Ayrshire below dates from 1865. It shows "Ellerslie" to the South East of "Crosshouse" just below the centre of the map.

[Holy War]

[Holy War]

Wallace and Bruce

No less than six major battles which changed the course of Scottish and British history took place in or near Stirling, but it was the two of which chronicler Walter Bower wrote in 1440 that hold a special place in the hearts and minds of Scots everywhere.

The "divine power" reflects the belief of the two greatest leaders in Scottish history, William Wallace and King Robert the Bruce, that God was on the side of the Scots, as they faced greatly superior odds at Stirling Bridge and Bannockburn.

These two battles secured in the long term the distinctive identity of Scotland as a nation, and Stirling has always been conscious of the part it played in delivering the result

Whether by intellect or intuition, the rest of Scotland has recognised and concurred with this contribution. Seven hundred years to the day after the Battle of Stirling on 11 September 1997, "the settled will of the Scottish people" in the referendum was for a Scottish Parliament. It could not have been otherwise

The site of the two great battles, fought for Scotland's freedom during the long War of Independance, 1296-1320, illustrated what was commonly said - "To Take Stirling is to Hold Scotland".

http://www.stirling.gov.uk/wallace-bruce

[Holy War]

Battle of Bannockburn


Bannockburn is the most famous Scottish victory in the Wars of Independence. The English should have won because they had more men and better equipment. They were, however, very badly led by Edward II who made a fatal mistake in his choice of battlefield.

Bruce's army advanced towards the English "like a thick set hedge" and pushed them back. Firstly the English lost their formations, then they lost their nerve just as the Scots were tiring. The sudden intervention of Bruce's camp followers broke the English morale and they fled.

Stirling Castle, which Edward II had been trying to relieve, surrendered the next day. The victory ensured Scotland's survival as an independent country with Bruce as its King.

http://www.stirling.gov.uk/index/stirling/historytimeline/battlebannockburn.htm

[Braveheart]

Great research!