The Border Reivers: Opportunists or Political Collaborators? The Raids of Ruthven and Stirling, 1582–85

In August 1582, the religious, political, and personal tensions that had been festering at Scottish court erupted. Sir William Ruthven, 1^st Earl of Gowrie led a party of pro-English, pro-Protestant lairds against King James’ favorites, the Duke of Lennox and Earl of Arran. The event, which became known as the Ruthven Raid, sparked a three-year battle between two court factions. The result was the toppling of a lingering Catholic influence at the Scottish court and the strengthening of peaceful Anglo-Scottish relations. Though both parties engaged in skirmishes near the political center, the border region impacted the outcome of the political crisis.

Recently, historians like Anna Groundwater and Julian Goodare have placed Anglo-Scottish border history into the context of national events. During the 1580s, Scottish clan rivalries both mirrored and influenced outcomes at Court. My paper will to add to this historiography through a discussion of the ways in which the border itself was a site of power which served as a hiding place for exiled rebels, a staging ground for gathering additional men and supplies, and a source of controversy for both factions. I argue that without the assistance of the borderers, and the legal advantages to hiding on the English side of the borderline, the Ruthven faction would not have been able to travel to Stirling and successfully overturn Arran’s regime. Obtaining influence and assistance in the border region resulted in greater changes at the center. With each regime change, Anglo-Scottish alliances were forged. Yet, once the crisis ended, the delineation between the realms became rigid once again. Just as border reivers traversed the borderline to achieve their short-lived objectives, so too did greater political figures. However, the evidence demonstrates that subjects of each kingdom still maintained a strong sense of national identity which they used to their advantage.