Second War of Scottish Independence: Battle of Dupplin Moor
Battle of Dupplin Moor - Conflict & Dates:
The Battle of Dupplin Moor was fought August 10-11, 1332, during the Second War of Scottish Independence (1332-1357).
Bruce Supporters
Domhnall II, Earl of Mar Sir Robert Keith 10,000-15,000 men
Balliols & English Allies
Edward Balliol Sir Henry Beaumont 1,500-3,000 men
Battle of Dupplin Moor - Background:
Fought from 1296 to 1328, the First War of Scottish Independence saw Scotland gain its freedom despite suffering several severe setbacks including Dunbar (1296) and Falkirk (1298). Following his triumph at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314, King Robert the Bruce effectively secured independence. This was formalized through the Treaty of Edinburgh-Northampton in 1328. The following year, Robert died and was succeeded by his young son, David II. Only four years of age, David's hold on the throne proved tenuous as enemies of the realm began plotting for his overthrow. Key among these was the supporters of Edward Balliol.
Battle of Dupplin Moor - The Disinherited:
The son of John Balliol, who had been selected by King Edward I of England to rule Scotland in 1292, Edward Balliol sought to reclaim his father's throne. He was aided in his cause by a group of rebellious nobles known at the "Disinherited" in reference to the lands they lost following Bannockburn. After living in exile in France, Balliol returned to England in 1331 at the request of Sir Henry Beaumont, a veteran soldier and key member of the Disinherited. While Balliol established a residence at Standal Manor in Yorkshire, Beaumont sought an audience with King Edward III. Meeting with Edward, Beaumont received the king's support for an independent invasion of Scotland the following year.
Battle of Dupplin Moor - Balliol and Beaumont Prepare:
As the Treaty of Edinburgh-Northampton prohibited English troops from crossing the River Tweed, Edward directed that Balliol and Beaumont's army travel by sea to Scotland. Moving forward, the two men began assembling the needed ships and men for their campaign. Building an army, they succeeded in recruiting between 1,500 and 3,000 men to their banner, the majority being archers armed with longbows. Learning of the death of David's guardian, Thomas Randolph, Earl of Moray, on July 20, 1332, Balliol and Beaumont began preparations to sail. Embarking their men on over eighty ships, they departed Yorkshire on July 31. Moving up the coast, they landed their troops at Kinghorn in Fife on August 6.
Battle of Dupplin Moor - The Armies Meet:
Moving inland, the invaders occupied Dunfermline before turning north to advance on Perth. This was due to Domhnall II, Earl of Mar, assembling an army in that area. The newly elected regent, Mar possessed a much larger force and had assumed a strong position on heights above Dupplin Moor. Though outnumbered, Balliol and Beaumont sought battle with Mar as additional Scottish forces led by Patrick, Earl of March were approaching. Reaching Forteviot on August 10, they made camp just below the River Earn. Scouting Mar's position, the Disinherited lords became discouraged by the disparity in numbers between the two forces. Alerted to March's approach, Beaumont elected to pursue a bold plan.
Battle of Dupplin Moor - The English Attack:
Confident in his position and numerical superiority, Mar elected not to post a watch that evening and assumed that he could crush the invaders in the morning. During the night, Beaumont dispatched a force led by Sir Alexander Mowbray across the Earn. As Mowbray pushed forward, Balliol and Beaumont followed with the rest of the army. Advancing, Mowbray mistakenly attacked the Scottish camp followers in the darkness. While this fighting raged, the English army assumed a strong position on high ground at the head of a narrow valley. In addition to its defensive strength, this new location flanked Mar's position. Using tactics similar to those he saw at Boroughbridge a decade earlier, Beaumont deployed the army with men-at-arms in the center and archers pushed forward on the flanks.
Battle of Dupplin Moor - The Scots Advance:
As the Scots spotted the new English position, anger swept through the leadership and Mar was accused of treachery by Lord Robert Bruce, the illegitimate son of the late king. Seeking to prove otherwise, Mar immediately moved to lead part of the army against the enemy's line. He was beaten in this effort by Bruce whose command swiftly advanced down the narrow valley. Nearing the enemy, the Scots came under clouds of arrows from English archers. Shooting rapidly, they succeeded in striking down large numbers of lightly-armored Scots. Reaching the English, Bruce's men drove them back twenty to thirty yards before a counterattack and increased fire from the archers halted their advance.
Seeing Bruce's men halted, Mar drove forward down the valley. Due to the confines of the terrain, they came up on Bruce's rear and created a press of men. While those in the front ranks were pushed onto the English swords and spears, many in the middle were simply crushed by the weight of humanity. Holding their position as Bruce's and Mar's formations broke, Balliol and Beaumont's men later advanced and drove off the Scottish rear. Surrounding the massive pile of bodies in the valley, the English stabbed at it to ensure that none remained alive.
Battle of Dupplin Moor - Aftermath:
Though Scottish losses at the Battle of Dupplin Moor are not known with certainty, both Mar and Bruce were killed as was the King's Marischal, Sir Robert Keith. English losses numbered around thirty-three. In the wake of the defeat, the English scattered the remnants of Mar's army. Triumphant, Balliol crowned himself King of Scots on September 24. His success proved short-lived as he was attacked by David's supporters at the Battle of Annan in December and driven from the country. A stunning victory for the English, Dupplin Moor demonstrated the power of the longbow and the tactics used were refined and employed with great success during the Hundred Years' War.
UK Battlefield Resource Centre: Battle of Dupplin Moor Historic Scotland: Battle of Dupplin Moor The Disinherited & the Battle of Dupplin Moor
The Battle of Dupplin Moor was fought August 10-11, 1332, during the Second War of Scottish Independence (1332-1357).
Armies & Commanders
Bruce Supporters
Balliols & English Allies
Battle of Dupplin Moor - Background:
Fought from 1296 to 1328, the First War of Scottish Independence saw Scotland gain its freedom despite suffering several severe setbacks including Dunbar (1296) and Falkirk (1298). Following his triumph at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314, King Robert the Bruce effectively secured independence. This was formalized through the Treaty of Edinburgh-Northampton in 1328. The following year, Robert died and was succeeded by his young son, David II. Only four years of age, David's hold on the throne proved tenuous as enemies of the realm began plotting for his overthrow. Key among these was the supporters of Edward Balliol.
Battle of Dupplin Moor - The Disinherited:
The son of John Balliol, who had been selected by King Edward I of England to rule Scotland in 1292, Edward Balliol sought to reclaim his father's throne. He was aided in his cause by a group of rebellious nobles known at the "Disinherited" in reference to the lands they lost following Bannockburn. After living in exile in France, Balliol returned to England in 1331 at the request of Sir Henry Beaumont, a veteran soldier and key member of the Disinherited. While Balliol established a residence at Standal Manor in Yorkshire, Beaumont sought an audience with King Edward III. Meeting with Edward, Beaumont received the king's support for an independent invasion of Scotland the following year.
Battle of Dupplin Moor - Balliol and Beaumont Prepare:
As the Treaty of Edinburgh-Northampton prohibited English troops from crossing the River Tweed, Edward directed that Balliol and Beaumont's army travel by sea to Scotland. Moving forward, the two men began assembling the needed ships and men for their campaign. Building an army, they succeeded in recruiting between 1,500 and 3,000 men to their banner, the majority being archers armed with longbows. Learning of the death of David's guardian, Thomas Randolph, Earl of Moray, on July 20, 1332, Balliol and Beaumont began preparations to sail. Embarking their men on over eighty ships, they departed Yorkshire on July 31. Moving up the coast, they landed their troops at Kinghorn in Fife on August 6.
Battle of Dupplin Moor - The Armies Meet:
Moving inland, the invaders occupied Dunfermline before turning north to advance on Perth. This was due to Domhnall II, Earl of Mar, assembling an army in that area. The newly elected regent, Mar possessed a much larger force and had assumed a strong position on heights above Dupplin Moor. Though outnumbered, Balliol and Beaumont sought battle with Mar as additional Scottish forces led by Patrick, Earl of March were approaching. Reaching Forteviot on August 10, they made camp just below the River Earn. Scouting Mar's position, the Disinherited lords became discouraged by the disparity in numbers between the two forces. Alerted to March's approach, Beaumont elected to pursue a bold plan.
Battle of Dupplin Moor - The English Attack:
Confident in his position and numerical superiority, Mar elected not to post a watch that evening and assumed that he could crush the invaders in the morning. During the night, Beaumont dispatched a force led by Sir Alexander Mowbray across the Earn. As Mowbray pushed forward, Balliol and Beaumont followed with the rest of the army. Advancing, Mowbray mistakenly attacked the Scottish camp followers in the darkness. While this fighting raged, the English army assumed a strong position on high ground at the head of a narrow valley. In addition to its defensive strength, this new location flanked Mar's position. Using tactics similar to those he saw at Boroughbridge a decade earlier, Beaumont deployed the army with men-at-arms in the center and archers pushed forward on the flanks.
Battle of Dupplin Moor - The Scots Advance:
As the Scots spotted the new English position, anger swept through the leadership and Mar was accused of treachery by Lord Robert Bruce, the illegitimate son of the late king. Seeking to prove otherwise, Mar immediately moved to lead part of the army against the enemy's line. He was beaten in this effort by Bruce whose command swiftly advanced down the narrow valley. Nearing the enemy, the Scots came under clouds of arrows from English archers. Shooting rapidly, they succeeded in striking down large numbers of lightly-armored Scots. Reaching the English, Bruce's men drove them back twenty to thirty yards before a counterattack and increased fire from the archers halted their advance.
Seeing Bruce's men halted, Mar drove forward down the valley. Due to the confines of the terrain, they came up on Bruce's rear and created a press of men. While those in the front ranks were pushed onto the English swords and spears, many in the middle were simply crushed by the weight of humanity. Holding their position as Bruce's and Mar's formations broke, Balliol and Beaumont's men later advanced and drove off the Scottish rear. Surrounding the massive pile of bodies in the valley, the English stabbed at it to ensure that none remained alive.
Battle of Dupplin Moor - Aftermath:
Though Scottish losses at the Battle of Dupplin Moor are not known with certainty, both Mar and Bruce were killed as was the King's Marischal, Sir Robert Keith. English losses numbered around thirty-three. In the wake of the defeat, the English scattered the remnants of Mar's army. Triumphant, Balliol crowned himself King of Scots on September 24. His success proved short-lived as he was attacked by David's supporters at the Battle of Annan in December and driven from the country. A stunning victory for the English, Dupplin Moor demonstrated the power of the longbow and the tactics used were refined and employed with great success during the Hundred Years' War.
Selected Sources
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