Aberdeen Castle
Encyclopedia
Aberdeen Castle was a late Middle Ages
fortification, in Aberdeen
, Scotland
. It was situated on Castle Hill, a site today known as the Castlegate
, where a block of flats are currently located.
It is thought the castle and fortifications were burned down by King Robert the Bruce in June 1308, during the Wars of Scottish Independence
immediately following the Harrying of Buchan
. Bruce and his men laid siege to the castle before massacring the English Garrison to prevent its use by the English troops of Edward II. It is said the Scots showed no mercy but "slew every man who fell into their hands. Edward I, indeed, had already set the example of executing his prisoners, and it was not to be expected that the other side would fail to follow the same course". On 10 July 1308, English ships left Hartlepool to help the English garrison. However by August 1308, Gilbert Pecche and the last troops had all been forced out of the city. Following the destruction of Aberdeen Castle, Bruce marched his men to capture Forfar Castle
.
Legend tells that the city's motto, Bon Accord came from the password used to initiate Bruce's final push and destruction of the castle.
However the next year, after defeating the English at Dunnottar Castle
in 1297, William Wallace
marched his men to Aberdeen during their campaign to retake the east-coast for the Scots.
They found the English hastily preparing to leave in an armada of one hundred ships. The speed of Wallace's arrival from Dunottar caught the English unawares and at low tide the stranded ships were attacked in the harbour, the crew and soldiers slaughtered, the cargo taken and the ships burnt.
The English Sheriff of Aberdeen, Sir Henry de Lazom had been left in charge of the Castle, but during the chaos of the attack he defected, declaring it in the name of the Scottish King, John de Balliol
.
Scotland in the Late Middle Ages
Scotland in the late Middle Ages established its independence from England under figures including William Wallace in the late 13th century and Robert Bruce in the 14th century...
fortification, in Aberdeen
Aberdeen
Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. It was situated on Castle Hill, a site today known as the Castlegate
Castlegate, Aberdeen
The Castlegate is a small area of Aberdeen, Scotland, located centrally at the east-end of the city's main thoroughfare Union Street. Generally speaking, locals would consider it to encompas the square at the end of Union Street where the Mercat Cross and the Gallowgate are located.At the upper end...
, where a block of flats are currently located.
It is thought the castle and fortifications were burned down by King Robert the Bruce in June 1308, during the Wars of Scottish Independence
Wars of Scottish Independence
The Wars of Scottish Independence were a series of military campaigns fought between the independent Kingdom of Scotland and the Kingdom of England in the late 13th and early 14th centuries....
immediately following the Harrying of Buchan
Harrying of Buchan
The Harrying of Buchan, also known as the Herschip or Rape of Buchan, took place in 1308 during the Wars of Scottish Independence...
. Bruce and his men laid siege to the castle before massacring the English Garrison to prevent its use by the English troops of Edward II. It is said the Scots showed no mercy but "slew every man who fell into their hands. Edward I, indeed, had already set the example of executing his prisoners, and it was not to be expected that the other side would fail to follow the same course". On 10 July 1308, English ships left Hartlepool to help the English garrison. However by August 1308, Gilbert Pecche and the last troops had all been forced out of the city. Following the destruction of Aberdeen Castle, Bruce marched his men to capture Forfar Castle
Forfar Castle
Forfar Castle was an 11th-century castle to the west of Forfar, Scotland.-History:The castle was apparently surrounded by water and was used as a royal castle by the Scottish kings Malcolm III, William I and Alexander II. Malcolm used it as a base for raising an army to repel Danish invaders. It...
.
Legend tells that the city's motto, Bon Accord came from the password used to initiate Bruce's final push and destruction of the castle.
History
On 14 April 1296, the English King, Edward I arrived in Aberdeen and stayed in the castle as part of his tour of the east coast of Scotland having defeated the Scots.However the next year, after defeating the English at Dunnottar Castle
Dunnottar Castle
Dunnottar Castle is a ruined medieval fortress located upon a rocky headland on the north-east coast of Scotland, about two miles south of Stonehaven. The surviving buildings are largely of the 15th–16th centuries, but the site is believed to have been an early fortress of the Dark Ages...
in 1297, William Wallace
William Wallace
Sir William Wallace was a Scottish knight and landowner who became one of the main leaders during the Wars of Scottish Independence....
marched his men to Aberdeen during their campaign to retake the east-coast for the Scots.
They found the English hastily preparing to leave in an armada of one hundred ships. The speed of Wallace's arrival from Dunottar caught the English unawares and at low tide the stranded ships were attacked in the harbour, the crew and soldiers slaughtered, the cargo taken and the ships burnt.
The English Sheriff of Aberdeen, Sir Henry de Lazom had been left in charge of the Castle, but during the chaos of the attack he defected, declaring it in the name of the Scottish King, John de Balliol
John of Scotland
John Balliol , known to the Scots as Toom Tabard , was King of Scots from 1292 to 1296.-Early life:Little of John's early life is known. He was born between 1248 and 1250 at an unknown location, possibilities include Galloway, Picardy and Barnard Castle, County Durham...
.