Battle of Duns facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of Duns
Part of the Anglo-Scottish Wars
Date 1372 Location Duns, Berwickshire, Scotland 55°46′12″N 2°21′07″W / 55.770°N 2.352°W / 55.770; -2.352 Result Scottish victory
Belligerents
Kingdom of Scotland	Kingdom of England
Commanders and leaders
	Henry Percy, 4th Baron Percy
Strength
thousands	7,000

The Battle of Duns was an exciting event that happened in 1372. It took place near a town called Duns in Berwickshire, Scotland. This battle was part of the long-running Anglo-Scottish Wars, which were conflicts between England and Scotland.

The Battle of Duns

What Happened Before?

In 1372, there had been some raids by Scottish forces into England. To get back at them, an English leader named Henry, Lord Percy decided to invade Scotland. He was a very important person called the Lord Warden of the Marches. This meant he was in charge of protecting the border between England and Scotland.

Lord Percy led a large English army of about 7,000 soldiers into Scotland. They marched through an area called the Merse. At first, they didn't face much opposition. The English army set up camp near Duns. They were waiting for more soldiers to join them.

The Surprise Attack!

The people living in Duns were mostly farmers and shepherds. They had a clever way to protect their crops and animals. They used special rattles made from dried animal skins filled with pebbles. These rattles made a loud noise that scared away wild animals.

The local people decided to use these rattles against the English army. They quietly surrounded the English camp. Then, they started shaking their rattles as loudly as they could! The sudden, strange noise startled the English horses. The horses panicked and began to run around wildly.

This caused a huge mess in the English camp. The soldiers woke up in confusion and disarray. With their camp in chaos and being bothered by the local people, the English army decided to leave. They quickly retreated back over the border into England. They left behind their supplies and equipment. This was a big victory for the Scottish people, even though it wasn't a traditional battle.

A Town's Motto

The story of this clever trick became famous. It is believed that the town of Duns got its motto from this event. The motto is: "Duns dings a'!" This means "Duns beats all!" or "Duns overcomes everything!" It's a reminder of how the local people, with their quick thinking, managed to scare off a much larger army.