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Battle of Langside - 1568
Moray was based in Glasgow while Mary had come from Hamilton via the southern bank of the River Clyde. Moray managed to position his troops on Langside Hill, while Mary`s troops were on the lesser Clincart Hill (now the site of Langside College),1km (½ mile) to the east. Mary herself watched from Cathcart Hill at a place now known as Court Knowe. After an unsuccessful cavalry charge, Mary`s foot soldiers approached Langside Hill up what is now Battlefield Road, but they were met by gunfire as well as other forces coming down from the site of Pathhead Farm. Between these two wings of Moray`s forces, archers and then the cavalry attacked the oncoming army. One hundred of Mary`s men were killed and her army fled; the battle had only taken three quarters of an hour. Mary turned southwards and headed into England. ''he old inhabitants of the village of Langside would have it that George Douglas, temporary keeper of Lochleven Castle, was killed where the solitary old tree grows on the bit of waste ground at the entrance to the village. This is probably a story from the pen of Sir Walter Scott, in his novel 'The Abbot'.
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The lion at the top of the memorial rests his paw on a cannonball and faces
Clincart Hill where the forces of Mary, Queen of Scots were positioned. Just
below the lion are badges with thistles or lions on them. Next down, the tall
ornate column is decorated with a spiral design of thistles, roses and
fleur-de-lis. Below this are eight carvings; each alternate carving has a targe
(a shield) with crossed swords, and the four others have a cannon, a set of
bagpipes, a targe with a variety of battle weapons, and an iron helmet with a
crossed sword and axe. The four eagles at the corners of the monument`s plinth
are preparing to fly. When being built, plans of the monument, a copy of The
Abbot/i> (by Sir Walter Scott, 1820), and newspapers and coins of the day were
placed under the structure.