Battle of Bothwell Bridge 1679
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Outline: officially registered battlefield boundary.
Key facts
| Date (year) | 1679 | Wikidata P585 point in time |
|---|---|---|
| Century | 17th century | derived |
| Period | Jacobite & later | derived |
| Country | Scotland | derived |
| Local authority | South Lanarkshire | HES |
| Registered area | 136.4 ha | HES |
| HES inventory reference | BTL5 | HES |
| Designated | 2011-03-21 | HES |
| Last amended | 2012-12-14 | HES |
About the battle
The Battle of Bothwell Bridge (also known as the Battle of Bothwell Brig) was fought on 22 June 1679 during the Covenanter rebellion of 1679. It was fought between government troops and militant Presbyterian Covenanters, and signalled the end of their brief rebellion. The battle took place at the bridge over the River Clyde between Hamilton and Bothwell in Lanarkshire, Scotland. The battlefield has been included in the Inventory of Historic Battlefields in Scotland and protected by Historic Scotland under the Historic Environment (Amendment) Act 2011.
Visiting the battlefield
In 1903, on the 224th anniversary of the battle, a monument was dedicated on the site. This stands beside Bothwell Bridge, which was largely rebuilt in the 19th century.
The battle is a central event in Sir Walter Scott's 1816 novel, Old Mortality. Scott fictionalises the battle and the events leading up to it, introducing real people who were not actually present, such as General Tam Dalyell, as well as his own fictional characters. However, his description of the flow of the battle is considered accurate.
Location
- Local authority: South Lanarkshire
- Approximate centre of registered area: 55.7937, -4.0582
- Registered area: 136.4 hectares
Battlefields are often on private farmland: please keep to public rights of way and respect landowners.
Text adapted from the Wikipedia article Battle of Bothwell Bridge (revision 1380374572), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: excerpted from the article lead section and section(s) “Memorials”; condensed by selecting paragraphs; citations removed. No text added.
Contains Historic Environment Scotland and OS data © Historic Environment Scotland and Crown Copyright and database right 2026, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Nearby battlefields
- Battle of Hieton 1650 · 2 km
- Battle of Glasgow 1544 · 13 km
- Battle of Glasgow 1560 · 13 km
- Battle of Langside 1568 · 14 km
- Battle of Drumclog 1679 · 19 km
- Battle of Kilsyth 1645 · 21 km
Browse more: battles in Scotland · Jacobite & later · 17th century battles