Battle of Linlithgow Bridge The Battle of Linlithgow Bridge is a battle that took place on 4 September 1526 in the village of Linlithgow Bridge , outside the Scottish town of Linlithgow . It was fought between a force of 10 , 000 men led by the Earl of Lennox and a force of 2 , 500 led by James Hamilton , 1st Earl of Arran . The battle was part of a power struggle in Scotland for control of the young Scottish king , James V . The battlefield is currently under research to be inventoried and protected by Historic Scotland under the Scottish Historical Environment Policy of 2009 . Background . The Battle of Linlithgow Bridge was a product of the power vacuum created by the death of James IV of Scotland in the Battle of Flodden in 1513 . His young son , James V , was only a year old when his father was killed , and so Scotland was ruled by regents during his childhood . The first was his mother , Margaret Tudor ( sister of King Henry VIII of England ) , until she remarried in the following year , and was replaced by John Stewart , 2nd Duke of Albany , who was himself next in line for the throne after James and his younger brother , Alexander Stewart , Duke of Ross . In 1525 , Archibald Douglas , 6th Earl of Angus , the young king ' s stepfather , took custody of James and held him as a virtual prisoner for three years , exercising power on his behalf . James ’ mother made a number of attempts to free her son from the clutches of Douglas , and one of these resulted in the Battle of Linlithgow Bridge . The battle . In 1526 , Margaret persuaded the Earl of Lennox and Cardinal Beaton to support her cause . Lennox raised an army over 10 , 000 and marched on Edinburgh from his base in Stirling . By this time Archibald Douglas had won the support of James Hamilton , 1st Earl of Arran and the latter was sent to try to delay the march by mustering the people of Linlithgow and the surrounding area . Arran arranged his force of 2 , 500 men on the strategically important Pace Hill overlooking Linlithgow and the River Avon . Lennox , seeing the strength of this defensive position had to rethink his plans . Lennox intended to outflank and defeat Arran before Douglas could arrive from Edinburgh with reinforcements . Downstream from the town , the river was impassable but his scouts found a ford a mile upstream , at Manuel Convent . Lennox forced a crossing there and advanced on Arran ’ s flank . However , Arran saw the threat and placed his troops facing south along the ridge of Pace Hill . Lennox ’ s attack was across the Avon , over boggy ground and finally uphill , but he very nearly succeeded in dislodging Arran ’ s outnumbered men . However time ran out for Lennox as Douglas reinforcements arrived followed by the reluctant King James . Many of the Lennox men were killed either on the ridge or along the banks of the river Avon . The Earl of Glencairn was captured and Lennox himself was wounded . Lennox surrendered to his opponents but was then murdered by James Hamilton of Finnart . The location of Lennox ’ s murder is commemorated with a cairn that stands at the entrance to the Kettilstoun estate . The aftermath . After the battle , James remained under the control of Archibald Douglas until , in 1528 , aged sixteen , he escaped from Edinburgh to join his mother in Stirling and assume the reins of government himself . Douglas and his family had their lands confiscated and he was forced to seek refuge in England . James continued to reign until his death in 1542 .