Archaeology Notes

Event ID 713221

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/713221

centred 3610 7150

(Name: NT 361 715) Site of the (NAT) Battle of Pinkie (NR)

10th September 1547 (NAT)

OS 1:10000 map (1973).

The battle of Pinkie was fought between an English army, led by Protector Somerset, and a Scottish army under the Earl of Arran, their numbers being as indicated by Groome (1901). A skirmish was fought on the 9th September 1547 at the E end of Musselburgh links, and the main battle was fought the following day, the armies taking up the positions shown on plan. The Scottish army was routed.

The Ordnance Survey Name Book [ONB] refers to large quantities of human bones, pieces of spears, swords, horse-shoes and officers' epaulettes having been found in the area indicated.

W Patton 1798; Name Book 1853; OS 6" map (1855).

This battlefield was included in a nation-wide study of key battle sites. A detailed gazetteer was created by The Battlefield Trust, which includes an historical overview of each site, detailed assessments of the action and its location and the number of troops involved, casualties, sources of information and an interpretation of the events and its impact on history.

(For more detail see the gazetteer and associated materials).

NMRS, MS/2522.

The battlefield can be crudely defined with a secure boundary of the Esk on the W, to the SE Falside Hill provides a boundary, while Musselburgh gives a northern boundary. This wide definition is only broadly indicative of where the battle was fought.

G Foard, T Partida 2005.