Burning of Edinburgh

Burning of Edinburgh
Part of the Rough Wooing
Date 7 May 1544 Location Edinburgh, Scotland Result town surrendered to English and burnt: Edinburgh Castle defended
Belligerents
Kingdom of Scotland	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.