Editing Edinburgh Castle (section)

=== Wars of Scottish Independence ===

[[File:RobertBruceAndWilliamWallace.jpg|thumb|right|Statues of Robert the Bruce by Thomas Clapperton and William Wallace by Alexander Carrick were added to the Gatehouse entrance in 1929]]

A century later, in 1286, on the death of [[Alexander III of Scotland|King Alexander III]], the throne of Scotland became vacant. [[Edward I of England]] was appointed to adjudicate the [[Competitors for the Crown of Scotland|competing claims]] for the Scottish crown, but used the opportunity to attempt to establish himself as the feudal overlord of Scotland. During the negotiations, Edward stayed briefly at Edinburgh Castle and may have received homage there from the Scottish nobles.<ref name=MacIvor33>MacIvor (1993), p. 33.</ref>

In March 1296, Edward I invaded Scotland, unleashing the [[First War of Scottish Independence]]. Edinburgh Castle soon came under English control, surrendering after a three-day-long bombardment.<ref>Tabraham (1997), p. 56.</ref> Following the siege, Edward had many Scottish legal records and royal treasures moved from the castle to England.<ref name=MacIvor33/> A large garrison numbering 325 men was installed in 1300.<ref>Lynch, p. 120.</ref> Edward also brought to Scotland his master builders of the Welsh castles, including Thomas de Houghton and Master Walter of Hereford, both of whom travelled from Wales to Edinburgh.<ref>Cruden, pp. 70–71.</ref> After the death of Edward I in 1307, however, England's control over Scotland weakened. On 14 March 1314, a surprise night attack by [[Thomas Randolph, 1st Earl of Moray]] recaptured the castle. [[John Barbour (poet)|John Barbour]]'s narrative poem ''[[The Brus]]'' relates how a party of thirty hand-picked men was guided by one William Francis, a member of the garrison who knew of a route along the north face of the Castle Rock and a place where the wall might be scaled. Making the difficult ascent, Randolph's men scaled the wall, surprised the garrison and took control.<ref>Douglas, A. A. H. (1964), ''The Bruce'', Glasgow: William Maclennan, pp. 249–254.</ref> [[Robert the Bruce]] immediately ordered the [[slighting]] of the castle to prevent its re-occupation by the English.<ref>Tabraham (2008), p. 50.</ref> Four months later, his army secured victory at the [[Battle of Bannockburn]].<ref>G W S Barrow, Robert Bruce, Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh 1988, p.195 and Chapter 12.</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Cornell |first1=David |title=A Kingdom Cleared of Castles: the Role of the Castle in the Campaigns of Robert Bruce |journal=Scottish Historical Review |date=March 2009 |volume=87 |issue=2 |pages=233–257 |doi=10.3366/E0036924108000140 |s2cid=153554882 |url=https://www.euppublishing.com/doi/full/10.3366/E0036924108000140}}</ref>

After Bruce's death in 1329, [[Edward III of England]] determined to renew the attempted subjugation of Scotland and supported the claim of [[Edward Balliol]], son of the former King [[John of Scotland|John Balliol]], over that of Bruce's young son [[David II of Scotland|David II]]. Edward invaded in 1333, marking the start of the [[Second War of Scottish Independence]], and the English forces reoccupied and refortified Edinburgh Castle in 1335,<ref name="Tabraham2008–51"/> holding it until 1341. This time, the Scottish assault was led by [[William Douglas, Lord of Liddesdale]]. Douglas's party disguised themselves as merchants from [[Leith]] bringing supplies to the garrison. Driving a cart into the entrance, they halted it there to prevent the gates from closing. A larger force hidden nearby rushed to join them and the castle was retaken.<ref name=Salter46/> The 100 English men of the garrison were all killed.<ref name="Tabraham2008–51">Tabraham (2008), p. 51.</ref>