The circumstances of his coming prominence oddly start with the death of a young girl in the Orkneys some seven years earlier. If the Maid of Norway had survived here sea journey and married Edward I of England’s son then the two crowns would have been brought together peacefully by marriage. Her death left a vacuum that was filled by Scottish rebellion and Edward gaining the name the Hammer of the Scots.

William Wallace probably had some military experience before he killed the English sheriff of Lanark but the act elevated him to a position of a figurehead of rebellion for the Scots living in southern Scotland. He quickly gained a large following at his base in Ettrick Forest.

Mackays has fine property to visit the scene of William Wallace early days in nearby Hawick. Colislinn is a splendid example of Scottish Baronial architecture, Colislinn was built in 1896 and standing in 8 acres of private land with large lawned gardens, flower beds, an old kitchen garden, children’s trampoline, paddocks, woodland and rolling hills beyond. Through the grounds runs a burn which flows into the Slitrig Water – guests can take a swim in the natural pool.

It was in September 1297 that Wallace achieved his great victory which created the aura of success against the odds that stays with Wallace even today. At Stirling Bridge heavily defeated a poorly managed English army. Wallace was now the undisputed of leader of the rebels.

Wallace now seemed unstoppable and decided to take the war into northern England. Raiding as far south as Newcastle as his rebels wreaked havoc. To a large extent Wallace’s actions were little more than opportunism. Edward I was in the midst of an abortive war with France over Gascony and was still stretched to keep Welsh rebellion down. Overall though it was the pressure on Edward’s finances that gave the Scottish rebels most opportunity. Edward was near bankrupt and his methods for securing finance for his armies was through heavy taxation of his people. These made him weaker at home in England and more disliked in the newly acquired dominions of Wales and Scotland.

In time though the English Earls joined Edward to conquer Scotland. At the battle of Falkirk in 1298 Wallace’s luck finally ran out and his army was heavily defeated. Wallace was now asked to fight a different battle. One of using his reputation in Europe to gain the French as a powerful ally. Here Wallace established what was to prove a much revisited alliance over the centuries. For him however France, as they did repeatedly thereafter, proved a purely self interested ally and, when they deserted the Scots, the Scottish nobility caved in to the English and Wallace was alone to face his grisly fate that arrived in 1305.

To find out more about Wallace and his Scotland why not find a Scottish Cottages to stay in at www. mackays-self-catering.co.uk with over 400 Scottish holiday cottages to choose from.

Source: Discovering the Real William Wallace – Hero of Scotland