On 22 July 1298, an English army led by Edward I defeated William Wallace’s Scottish forces near Falkirk. It was Edward’s largest military success in Scotland, but it did not end the war.

Wallace had become Guardian of Scotland after the Scottish victory at Stirling Bridge in September 1297. The English army there had attempted to cross a narrow bridge and was defeated before all its troops reached the other side.

Edward returned from campaigning in France and led a new invasion of Scotland in 1298. His army was larger than Wallace’s, but feeding it became difficult. Supplies arriving by sea were delayed, and the troops suffered from hunger.

Wallace avoided a direct battle. His best chance was to let shortages and disorder weaken Edward’s army before attacking or forcing it to withdraw.

Edward then received information that the Scots were near Falkirk. He advanced and found Wallace’s army prepared for battle.

The Scottish infantry formed dense groups of spearmen. These formations, often called schiltrons, presented rows of spear points to attacking cavalry. Scottish archers stood between them, while a smaller mounted force provided support.

The English cavalry attacked first. The Scottish mounted troops left the field, and the archers between the spear formations were overrun. This left the schiltrons without effective protection.

The spear formations could hold back mounted knights, but they could not answer sustained archery. English and Welsh archers moved within range and fired into the packed ranks. Remaining in formation left the men exposed, while breaking formation made them vulnerable to cavalry.

Once the Scottish position had been weakened, English troops attacked again and broke the schiltrons. Wallace escaped, but several Scottish nobles were killed.

The defeat damaged Wallace’s political position. He resigned as Guardian of Scotland, probably later that year, and leadership passed to Robert Bruce and John Comyn.

Edward had won the battle, but the campaign did not give him secure control of Scotland. Scottish resistance continued under other leaders.