Atlas of Battles

battle, landmark, medieval

Battle of Falkirk

Battle of Falkirk was a battle fought on 22 July 1298 at Falkirk, in what is now United Kingdom. It was part of the Wars of Scottish Independence, which ran from 1296 to 1357. The recorded result: English victory. Recorded strength: ~6,000 men; 1,000 cavalry; 5,000 infantry against ~15,000 men; 2,500 cavalry; 12,500 infantry.

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The charge of Antony Bek, Bishop of Durham, at the Battle of Falkirk
The charge of Antony Bek, Bishop of Durham, at the Battle of Falkirk. James Grant, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Fought22 July 1298
WhereFalkirk, United Kingdom55.987N, 3.760W
OutcomeEnglish victory
BelligerentsKingdom of ScotlandagainstKingdom of England
Casualties and losses~2,000 killedand~2,000 killed
Part ofWars of Scottish Independence1296 to 1357

Where it sits in the Wars of Scottish Independence

Battle of Stirling Bridge, 1297Battle of Falkirk, 1298English invasion of Scotland, 1300Battle of Roslin, 1303Action at Happrew, 1304Battle of Dalrigh, 1306Battle of Methven, 1306Battle of Slioch, 1307Battle of the Pass of Brander, 1308Battle of Inverurie, 1308Siege of Roxburgh Castle, 1314Battle of Bannockburn, 1314Battle of Annan, 1332Battle of Halidon Hill, 1333Battle of Culblean, 133512971335Battle of Falkirk, 1298
15 placed engagements of the Wars of Scottish Independence in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date22 July 1298
PlaceFalkirk, United Kingdom
55.987N, 3.760W
KindBattle, medieval
Strength~6,000 men; 1,000 cavalry; 5,000 infantry~15,000 men; 2,500 cavalry; 12,500 infantry
Casualties and losses~2,000 killed~2,000 killed
Commanders
  • William Wallace
  • John Stewart (knight, died 1298)
  • Macduff of Fife
  • John de Graham
  • King Edward I
  • Antony Bek (bishop of Durham)
Battle of FalkirkBattle of FalkirkBattle of Falkirk MuirBattle of Linlithgow BridgeBattle of SauchieburnBattle of KilsythBattle of BannockburnBattle of Linlithgow BridgeBattle of KilsythBattle of BannockburnNewcastleAberdeenDundeeAyrPerthDumfriesCarlisleFort William100 km55.987N, 3.760W
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

The ground today

Relief of the ground around the site of Battle of Falkirk
Relief within about 10.0 km of the site, contours every 25 m. Copernicus DEM GLO-30, ESA.
Satellite view of the site of Battle of Falkirk today
The same ground from Sentinel-2 on 2023-05-30. Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data 2023.

The recorded site stands at about 65 m; within 10.0 km the ground runs from 0 to 210 m, 210 m of relief, hilly country and today it is 40% grassland, 29% built-up, 28% tree cover.

grassland: 40%built-up: 29%tree cover: 28%cropland: 2%grassland 40%built-up 29%tree cover 28%cropland 2%
west to east, 10.0 km44 to 132 mnorth to south, 10.0 km0 to 204 m
Elevation from the Copernicus DEM GLO-30 (ESA, Airbus); land cover from ESA WorldCover 2021 (CC BY 4.0), within about 5 km of the recorded site. Computed, not recorded.

Nearest engagements

In the same war

Elsewhere in 1298

Battle of Falkirk is one of 629 engagements of the 13th century in the atlas and one of 753 in present-day United Kingdom.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q589318, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Battle of Falkirk, revision 1384600364, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.