Atlas of Battles

siege, early modern

Siege of Leith

Siege of Leith was a siege conducted in December 1559 at Leith, in what is now United Kingdom; it ran into the following year.

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Siege of Leith map, 1560. The colour original is in the archive of Petworth House, Sussex. Copies are displayed in South Leith Parish Church and Huntly House Museum, Edinburgh. The above image is anno
Siege of Leith map, 1560. The colour original is in the archive of Petworth House, Sussex. Copies are displayed in South Leith Parish Church and Huntly House Museum, Edinburgh. The above image is anno. Unknown (1560), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
FoughtDecember 1559ran into the following year
WhereLeith, United Kingdom55.974N, 3.172W
OutcomeCatholic/French withstood siege.; Mary of Guise died during the peace process.; Treaty of Edinburgh signed with withdraw of English and French troops from Scotland.; Auld Alliance between Scotland and France was dissolved.
BelligerentsCatholic Scots; FranceagainstProtestant Scots; England
Casualties and losses7 May 1560: 15and7 May 1560: English: 800; Scottish: 400

Record

DateDecember 1559 (month precision)
to 20 June 1560
PlaceLeith, United Kingdom
55.974N, 3.172W
KindSiege, early modern
StrengthFrench soldiers in Leith (28 May 1560): 2,300; others 2,000; French evacuated from Scotland in July 1560: 3,613 men, 267 women, 315 childrenEnglish total (25 May 1560): 12,466
Casualties and losses7 May 1560: 157 May 1560: English: 800; Scottish: 400
Commanders
  • Mary of Guise
  • Henri Cleutin
  • Sebastien de Luxembourg, vicomte de Martigues
  • Jacques de la Brosse
Siege of LeithSiege of LeithCleanse the CausewayBattle of BoroughmuirBattle of PinkieBattle of Wester KinghornBattle of PrestonpansCleanse the CausewayBattle of Wester KinghornGlasgowNewcastleAberdeenDundeeAyrPerthDumfriesCarlisle100 km55.974N, 3.172W
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

Nearest engagements

Contested ground: this site was fought over 3 times between 1335 and 1559.

Elsewhere in 1559

Siege of Leith is one of 1,470 engagements of the 16th century in the atlas and one of 753 in present-day United Kingdom.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q7510186, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Siege of Leith, revision 1379302236, 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.