Falkirk Muir

The Battle of Falkirk Muir

In early January, the Jacobites had besieged the government forces who were under the command of Major-General William Blakeney at Stirling Castle.  In an attempt to relieve the siege, Lieutenant-General Henry Hawley led an army of around 7,000 men from Edinburgh. He arrived at Falkirk on the 15th January, and was surprised to find his way blocked by a Jacobite force. Lord George Murray led the Jacobites in an attack late in the afternoon of the 17th January.

The  battle started with heavy snow falling all around and in fast fading light. The Jacobite army was deployed with the Highlanders in the front line and the Lowland infantry in support in the second line. The government dragoons started the conflict with a charge on the Jacobites’ right flank. But when they came into musket range, their advance was slowed.

The Jacobite army abandoned their firearms, taking up long thrusting daggers instead, which they used on the underbellies of the government's horses and stabbed the riders as they fell. The Jacobite left wing then attacked and broke the governmenr centre and the pursuit was only halted by a resolute stand by two British regiments.

Lieutenant General Henry Hawley’s left wing and centre was defeated, however, in the confusion of the battle and the atrocious weather conditions, the Jacobites missed their opportunity to follow through, and allowed Hawley’s government troops to withdraw to Edinburgh where they regrouped. 

The Jacobites didn’t realise the full extent of their victory until the following day when the light returned. But it was a hollow triumph as they were lacking the resources for a winter campaign, and so they were forced to abandon their siege of Stirling and return home to await the Spring and better weather.

The Battlefield

The site of the Battle of Falkirk Muir was marked by a tall monument in 1927 as a memorial of the great clash. There are also a number of survivors accounts of the day which have documented, one of the more chilling accounts being from Chevalier James Johnstone who said;

‘The wind and the rain were full in our faces. I even remarked a trembling and strong agitation in my horse, which constantly shook when it was forced to put its feet on the heaps of dead bodies and to climb over them…..on my return to Falkirk I felt myself relieved from an oppressive burden: but the horrid spectacle I had witnessed was for a long time, fresh in my mind.’

The battlefield has since been inventoried and is protected by Historic Scotland under the Historic Environment (Amendment) Act 2011.