Battle of Langside The Battle of Langside , fought on 13 May 1568 , was one of the more unusual contests in Scottish history , bearing a superficial resemblance to a grand family quarrel , in which a woman fought her brother who was defending the rights of her infant son . In 1567 Mary , Queen of Scots ' s short period of personal rule ended in recrimination , intrigue and disaster when , after her capture at Carberry Hill , she was forced to abdicate in favour of James VI , her infant son . Mary was imprisoned in Loch Leven Castle , while her Protestant half - brother , James Stewart , Earl of Moray was appointed Regent on behalf of his nephew . In early May 1568 Mary escaped , heading west to the country of the Hamiltons , high among her remaining supporters , and the safety of Dumbarton Castle with the determination to restore her rights as queen . Mary was defeated and went into exile and captivity in England . The battle can be regarded as the start of the Marian civil war . Queen ' s Men . Mary ' s abdication had not been universally popular , even among sections of the Protestant nobility , and news of her escape were widely welcomed . With an escort of fifty horse led by Lord Claud Hamilton she arrived in Lanarkshire , soon to be joined by a wide cross - section of the nobility , including the Earls of Argyll , Cassillis , Rothes and Eglinton , the Lords Sommerville , Yester , Livingston , Herries , Fleming , Ross , numerous of the feudal barons and their followers . Within a few days Mary had managed to gather a respectable force of some 6000 men . It was openly declared that her abdication , and her consent to the coronation of James , had been extorted from her under threat of death . An act of council was then passed , declaring the whole process by which Moray had been appointed as Regent to be treasonable . A bond was drawn up by those present for her restitution , signed by eight earls , nine bishops , eighteen lords , twelve abbots and nearly one hundred barons . Mary ' s March . It was Mary ' s intention to avoid battle if possible , retiring instead to Dumbarton Castle , still held for her by John Fleming , 5th Lord Fleming . Here she would be in a virtually impregnable position , well - placed to receive the expected reinforcements from the north , and then recover her hold over the country by degrees . With the intention of by - passing Moray she marched to Rutherglen castle meeting loyal supporters and then on a wide circuit past Glasgow , intending to move by way of Langside , Crookston and Paisley back towards the River Clyde , and then on to Dumbarton on the north side of the Clyde estuary . Moray drew up his army on the moor close to the village of Langside , then several miles south of Glasgow but now well within the city . Kirkcaldy , keeping an eye on the enemy movements , noted that they were keeping to the south of the Clyde , the Regent ' s army being on the opposite bank . In response he ordered hackbutters ( musketeer s ) to mount behind each of his horsemen , rapidly fording the river , and placing them among the cottages , hedges and gardens of the village , which bordered each side of a narrow lane , through which Mary ' s army must defile . Meanwhile Moray continued to deploy the rest of the army , the vanguard under the command of the Earl of Morton leading the march across a nearby bridge . The whole army then deployed , the right around the village , and the left extending to the farm of Pathhead , the highest point of which is now known as Queen ' s Park . No sooner was this complete than the Queen ' s vanguard , commanded by Lord Hamilton , began its advance through the village . The battle was now under way . Guns and Pikes . Mary ' s army was commanded by Argyll , who was to show little in the way of real military skill , seemingly hoping simply to push Moray aside by sheer force of numbers : it is even suggested in the sources that he fainted at one point , though this is almost certainly a rumour spread by his enemies . With her army now engaged the Queen stood some distance to the rear , close to Cathcart Castle on a mound since named as the Court Knowe . As Hamilton attempted to force a passage through Langside he was met by close fire from Grange ' s hackbutters . Many in the front ranks were killed , throwing the remainder back on those following , and adding to the general confusion . Hamilton pushed on , finally reaching the top of a hill , only to find the main enemy army drawn up in good order . Morton with the border pikemen advanced to intercept Mary ' s vanguard . Both sides now met in ' push of pike ' . The forest of inter - locked spears was now so thick it is said that if those behind threw their discharged pistols at the enemy the weapons simply rested on the shafts as on a carpet , rather than falling to the ground . Grange , whom Moray had allowed considerable leeway , continued to act with courage and distinction ; " . . . the Regent committed unto the laird of Grange , the special care , as an experienced captain , to oversee every danger , to ride to every wing and encourage and make help where the greatest height was . " The battle was now at its height and the outcome still doubtful , until Grange saw that the right wing of the Regent ' s army - consisting of the barons of Renfrewshire - was beginning to lose ground . He immediately galloped to the main battalion and brought reinforcements . This was done so effectively , and the counter - attack pressed with such force , that it broke the enemy ranks . Moray , who hitherto had stood on the defensive , repulsing Mary ' s cavalry , now charged at the main enemy battalion , the fight now joined all along the line . The Queen ' s men crumbled , the fugitives being closely pursued by a party of Highlanders . The Battle of Langside , which had lasted for some forty - five minutes , was over . Aftermath . In all some 300 men had been killed , a figure that almost certainly would have been much higher but for Moray ' s decision to avoid further bloodshed by ordering a halt to the pursuit . Many prisoners of note were taken . Mary and her escort rode off , first trying to reach Dumbarton Castle , but then turning south , eventually arriving at Dundrennan Abbey . From here she left for England , never to see Scotland again . Mary crossed the Solway Firth to Workington on 16 May 1568 at night with twenty companions . This unexpected event provoked a dispute amongst the English border officials . On the next day she moved to Cockermouth and was greeted by Richard Lowther , the deputy of Lord Scrope at Carlisle Castle . Lowther escorted Mary to Carlisle on 18 May . Meanwhile , the Earl of Northumberland who was at Topcliffe heard the news from Workington , which was in his jurisdiction . The Earl obtained a letter of authority from the Council of the North at York to be the Scottish Queen ' s host and to " let none of them escape . " When the Earl arrived at Carlisle on 22 May , Richard Lowther defied him , and the Vice - Chamberlain of England , Francis Knollys , upheld Lowther ' s actions . Over the next five years Mary ' s supporters in Scotland continued a civil war with the Regents of Scotland . Queen and King ' s men . A contemporary list of leading supporters on both sides at the battle survives ; < br > For the Queen ; For Regent Moray and the King ; From this list and other evidence , Gordon Donaldson analysed the allegiances of Scottish families during the 16th century to the cause of Mary , to English or French policy , and to the Scottish Reformation , in his " All the Queen ' s Men " , ( 1983 ) .