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Welcome back to This Day in Scottish History. I'm your host, Colin MacDonald. Today, we turn the clock back to May 1st, 1544, a grim and fiery day in the annals of Edinburgh’s past. On this date, English forces under Edward Seymour, the Earl of Hertford, launched a devastating attack on Scotland’s capital. The city burned for three days in what became one of the most harrowing episodes of the so-called “Rough Wooing”—a brutal campaign of intimidation designed to force a marriage alliance between two infant royals: Mary, Queen of Scots, and Prince Edward of England. And if you’re curious about other fascinating events that happened on this day in history, be sure to check out my blog at bagtownclans.com/thisday. The link will be in the description!

To understand the scale of this catastrophe, we need to step back and consider the volatile political landscape of 16th-century Britain. Following the death of King James V of Scotland in 1542, his daughter Mary ascended the throne at just six days old. Henry VIII of England saw an opportunity—if Mary married his son Edward, he could unify the crowns of England and Scotland and extend his influence north of the border. But the Scots weren’t interested. They had no desire to be bound by English will, especially under threat. When Scottish nobles rejected the marriage proposal and instead renewed the Auld Alliance with France, Henry responded not with diplomacy—but with war.

Thus began the “Rough Wooing,” a chillingly ironic name for a campaign marked by fire, sword, and slaughter. Henry sent his armies to batter Scotland into submission, and no city felt the brunt more than Edinburgh.

In the early hours of May 1st, 1544, English ships under the command of the Earl of Hertford landed at Granton, just a few miles from the capital. With a force of over 10,000 men, they quickly overwhelmed the limited Scottish defenses and marched straight for Edinburgh. The city, largely unprepared for such an overwhelming force, stood little chance.

What followed was nothing short of a nightmare. The English troops poured into Edinburgh, setting buildings alight with gunpowder and torch. The flames spread rapidly through the timber structures of the medieval Old Town. Churches, homes, and civic buildings were consumed. For three relentless days, the skies over Edinburgh glowed orange, and the screams of terrified citizens echoed through the wynds and closes. The English spared neither woman nor child in their wrath. Hundreds were killed, and thousands more displaced.

The destruction wasn’t confined to the city. The English moved on to ravage Leith and surrounding villages, burning crops, slaughtering livestock, and leaving a scorched path in their wake. They targeted not just military installations but symbols of Scottish identity and resistance—churches, archives, and even monasteries fell to their torches. Hertford’s campaign was one of psychological warfare as much as physical conquest. His orders from Henry VIII had been clear: devastate the land until the Scots submitted.

But far from bringing Scotland to its knees, the sack of Edinburgh hardened its resolve. The campaign bred deep, lasting resentment toward England, and any hope of a peaceful marriage alliance died in the ashes of the capital. Mary, Queen of Scots, was soon spirited away to France for her safety and betrothed to the Dauphin, effectively sealing the Franco-Scottish alliance and scuppering Henry’s ambitions.

As for Hertford, he returned to England with a temporary victory but at a high cost. The burning of Edinburgh became a rallying cry for Scottish resistance, and in time, the Rough Wooing would be seen as a failed attempt at coercive diplomacy. Though further battles and raids followed in the years ahead, the cruelty of May 1544 stood out as a singular act of destruction that could not be forgotten.

And today, walking through Edinburgh’s historic Old Town, it’s easy to forget that beneath the cobbles and behind the stone facades lies the memory of that devastation. Though the city has risen, transformed, and endured through centuries, the memory of that fiery assault lingers in the soul of the capital.

Thank you for joining me today on This Day in Scottish History. The sacking of Edinburgh reminds us of the consequences when ambition and violence intertwine. It’s a story of loss, but also one of defiance, resilience, and the enduring spirit of a people who refused to be broken. Be sure to check out my blog at bagtownclans.com/thisday for more tales from Scotland’s stirring past. Until next time, I'm Colin MacDonald—Haste Ye Back!

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