Schiltrom (shield ring). The dependence of the Scots army on its infantry, or rather its lack of cavalry, ensured that developments in military strategy revolved round the foot soldier. The spear has, of course, an ancient place in military tactics, as well as a long history in Scotland. However, the schiltrom is associated predominantly with the wars with England. At the battle of Falkirk in July 1298, the Scots guardian Sir William Wallace arranged his men in four or five semicircular groups of around 1, 000 spearmen each, hemmed in with ropes; each man held his iron-tipped spear outwards across his chest. A small force of Scots archers were interspersed in between, with the cavalry at the back. This intrinsically defensive formation succeeded in repulsing the initial English cavalry charge, but was then destroyed by the archers. King Robert Bruce adapted this technique by training his men to move offensively in schiltrom formation; at Bannockburn this prevented an English cavalry unit reaching Stirling and played an active role in the battle itself. The schiltrom disappeared from Scots battle tactics with the arrival of the long pike.
Bibliography
- Barrow, Geoffrey W. S., Robert Bruce and the Community of the Realm of Scotland (Edinburgh, 1992).
- Nicolle, David, Medieval Warfare Source Book, vol.
1 , Warfare in Western Christendom (London, 1995)
— Fiona Watson
