The Battle of Pinkie: Scotland's Forgotten Defeat

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the Battle of Pinkie Cleugh, a catastrophic defeat for Scotland in 1547 that has been largely overshadowed by Bannockburn and Flodden. The battle unfolded along the River Esk near Musselburgh as an English army under the Duke of Somerset — acting for the boy king Edward VI — faced a Scottish force loyal to the infant Mary Queen of Scots. Lucas explains the political context: the 'rough wooing,' Henry VIII's demand for a marriage alliance, and the Scottish parliament's rejection that led to war. The narrative follows the Scottish commander, Regent Arran, and the English tactics, including devastating artillery fire and a cavalry charge by the 'gentlemen pensioners.' The aftermath saw the burning of Edinburgh and the occupation of key strongholds like Borthwick Castle. The episode also touches on the controversial figure of the Earl of Huntly, whose late arrival or deliberate inaction has been debated for centuries. Pinkie was one of the first battles in the British Isles where gunpowder weapons decided the outcome, killing thousands of Scots in a single afternoon. #BattleOfPinkie #RoughWooing #MaryQueenOfScots #HenryVIII #EdwardVI #DukeOfSomerset #RegentArran #Musselburgh #RiverEsk #GentlemenPensioners #Edinburgh #BorthwickCastle #EarlOfHuntly #16thCenturyWarfare #ScottishHistory #TudorHistory #FexingoHistory #History Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo