Roxburgh Castle & The Douglas Cows

It might only be a pile of stones now, but in the 14th century Roxburgh Castle was one of the most formidable strongholds in Scotland. In 1314 King Robert the Bruce and his lieutenants were systematically capturing and destroying every fortification in the country. Only the very strongest were still in English hands and that included Roxburgh Castle.

James the Black Douglas was tasked with winning back Roxburgh but with just a handful of men, it was a daunting task. There was no way that they could face the walls in a traditional siege, Douglas would need to rely on his wits instead. The Scots hid near the castle, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. Just before Lent, during the feast of Shrovetide, the sound of a drunken garrison must have reached their ears.

Douglas and his small group disguised themselves under dark cloaks and slowly crept on their hands and knees amongst a herd of cows towards the ramparts. In the darkness, the guards of Roxburgh Castle saw only the usual cattle in the fields outside and thought nothing of it. Suddenly rope ladders appeared on the walls with furious Scottish warriors quickly following.

The fight was short, but James Douglas and his men were victorious. Scottish brains, bravery and a little bit of luck had succeeded where brute force didn’t stand a chance.