The conquest of Scotland by Edward I of England in 1296 changed the course of history on the island of Britain, as well as fundamentally reframing Scottish identity. Producing two of the nation’s greatest heroes – William Wallace and Robert Bruce – the period is nonetheless a complicated one, especially when it came to questions of loyalty. This course will look at the context to the outbreak of war, English strategy and Scottish resistance, Robert Bruce’s war, and heroes and villains.
Online course x 5 weeks
Course leader: Dr Fiona Watson
Fiona Watson studied medieval history at St Andrews University before embarking on a Ph.D. on Edward I and his Scottish wars at Glasgow University. In 1995 she became a lecturer at Stirling University to develop both medieval and environmental history. In 1999 she successfully secured funding to set up a Centre for Environmental History, a joint venture between Stirling and St Andrews. She became a senior lecturer in 2000 and was the Centre’s Director until 2006 when she decided to leave academic life to pursue a freelance career. She has published a number of books, including Under the Hammer: Edward I and Scotland, Scotland: A History; Macbeth. A True Story and Scotland’s Historic Landscapes, as well as a historical novel – Dark Hunter – set in the wars between England and Scotland. She has also presented a number of series on Radio Scotland, including one on the Scottish Enlightenment, as well as a major BBC TV series, In Search of Scotland, in 2001
For more information or to register for this online course, please see the following links: