The Solway Ambush

How 500 Scots Destroyed an English Army with Rattles

By the late 14th century, Scotland had endured more than half a century of near-constant warfare. From the failed kingship of Edward Baliol, to the humiliating capture of David II at Neville’s Cross, the borderlands had become a battleground of attrition, fear, and resistance. English ambitions to conquer Scotland were largely waning—exhausted by French wars, internal strife, and repeated Scottish counterattacks.

Still, hope lingered in the hearts of English warlords like Lord Talbot, who in a bold but ill-fated move led a force of 15,000 soldiers across the Esk River into Dumfriesshire. Their intent? To punish the Scots for a raid on Penrith, where the Scots had torched the town and looted its fair. They would exact revenge, reclaim honor, and perhaps even reignite England’s withering claims to Scottish soil.

But Talbot underestimated his foe—and overestimated the security of his camp.