Despised by the English, mistrusted by the Scottish nobles, revered by his countrymen: William Wallace is synonymous with the battle for Scottish freedom. But scratch away at the legend, and even the most basic details are disputed. Where he was born, who he married, what he did after his famous battle at Stirling Bridge. Thanks to the brutal nature of his death, he doesn’t even have a grave.
What can we really know about the man immortalised by the poets? Was he anything like the warrior depicted in ‘Braveheart’? And what does his legacy tell us about the people of Scotland who idolize him to this day? This is a Short History of William Wallace.
Written by Jo Furniss.

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