Historic Battles Hollywood Got Embarrassingly Wrong

Historic Battles Hollywood Got Embarrassingly Wrong

Aimee Heidelberg - January 18, 2024

Historic Battles Hollywood Got Embarrassingly Wrong
Victorian-era artistic rendering of the Battle of Stirling Bridge. Public domain.

Battle of Stirling Bridge

Braveheart had several inaccurate details. The tartans, the weapons, and the face paint are suspect. The greatest offender is a pinnacle scene in the film. The Battle of Stirling scene left out important detail: The Battle of Stirling was actually the Battle of Stirling Bridge. The bridge was vital to Scots success. The Scots used the bridge – and a lot of patience – as a battle tactic. The narrow bridge only allowed a limited amount of English across at a time. Wallace and his troops waited for the right number of English to cross – not enough to effectively fight back, but enough to inflict damage. As the English waited for more of their troops to come along so they could re-form the ranks, the Scots attacked. The English still trying to cross couldn’t see the slaughter taking place on the other side of the bridge.

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