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William Wallace's victory set to win iconic status

THE ground where William Wallace won his most famous victory over the English is set to feature in Scotland's "Inventory of Historic Battlefields".

Historic Scotland revealed in December the first 17 nationally important sites for inclusion, including Bannockburn and Culloden.

Now the site of the 1297 Battle of Stirling Bridge is under consideration to join them as part of a second batch set to be revealed.

The battle would become the earliest date to feature in the inventory.

Historic Scotland officials and battlefield archaeologists met Stirling Council's archaeologist Lorna Main this week to examine the Stirling Bridge site and begin to establish exactly where the fighting took place.

Although there is little dispute about the rough location of the battle, there have been no recorded artefacts from the site.

Ms Main said: "The English army lined up on the south of the River Forth, in the shadow of Stirling Castle. The Scots under Wallace lined up on the opposite side, and towards the Abbey Craig, where there was a Dark Age fortress at that time and where Wallace Monument now stands."

It is the battle depicted in the 1995 film Braveheart, although the film version bore little resemblance to the real thing....
Read entire article at Scotsman (UK)