Burning of Edinburgh

This article is about the English military action. For the 19th-century Edinburgh fire, see Great Fire of Edinburgh.

Burning of Edinburgh
Part of the Rough Wooing
Date7 May 1544
Location
Edinburgh, Scotland
Result town surrendered to English and burnt: Edinburgh Castle defended
Belligerents
Scotland Kingdom of Scotland England Kingdom of England
Commanders and leaders
Regent Arran
Lord Otterburn
James Hamilton of Stenhouse		 Lord Hertford
Earl of Shrewsbury
Viscount Lisle
Strength
approx 6000 horsemen with infantry (not engaged) 200 troop-ships
12,000 infantry
4000 border horsemen
Casualties and losses
over 400 40

The Burning of Edinburgh in 1544 by an English army was the first major action of the war of the Rough Wooing. The Provost of Edinburgh was compelled to allow the English to sack Leith and Edinburgh, and the city was burnt on 7 May. However, the Scottish artillery within Edinburgh Castle harassed the English forces, who had neither the time nor the resources to besiege the Castle. The English fleet sailed away loaded with captured goods, and with two ships that had belonged to James V of Scotland.