A crushing defeat of Robert I's Galloway invasion force that resulted in the capture and execution of two of his brothers.
Key Facts
- Date
- 9/10 February 1307
- Invasion force size
- 1000 men and eighteen galleys
- Galleys escaped
- 2
- Bruce brothers captured and executed
- Alexander Bruce and Thomas Bruce
- Enemy commander
- Dungal MacDowall
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
King Robert I of Scotland launched an invasion of his ancestral lands in Annandale and Carrick in 1307. A separate force tasked with taking Galloway sailed from Ireland, composed of roughly 1000 men aboard eighteen galleys, led by Robert's brothers Alexander and Thomas Bruce alongside Malcolm McQuillan, an Irish sub-king, and Sir Reginald Crawford.
The invasion fleet landed near Stranraer on Loch Ryan and was rapidly overwhelmed by local forces loyal to the Balliols, Comyns, and Edward I of England, commanded by Dungal MacDowall. Only two galleys managed to escape. All the principal leaders were captured during or immediately after the engagement.
Dungal MacDowall summarily executed the Irish sub-king and Malcolm McQuillan on the battlefield; their heads were sent to Edward I. Alexander Bruce, Thomas Bruce, and Reginald Crawford were transported to Carlisle and executed there, delivering a severe personal blow to Robert I's campaign at a critical early stage.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Alexander Bruce, Thomas Bruce, Malcolm McQuillan, Sir Reginald Crawford.
Side B
1 belligerent
Dungal MacDowall.