Battle of Stirling Bridge
Braveheart had several inaccurate details. The tartans, the weapons, and the face paint are suspect. The greatest offender is a pinnacle scene in the film. The Battle of Stirling scene left out important detail: The Battle of Stirling was actually the Battle of Stirling Bridge. The bridge was vital to Scots success. The Scots used the bridge – and a lot of patience – as a battle tactic.
The narrow bridge only allowed a limited amount of English across at a time. Wallace and his troops waited for the right number of English to cross – not enough to effectively fight back, but enough to inflict damage. As the English waited for more of their troops to come along so they could re-form the ranks, the Scots attacked. The English still trying to cross couldn’t see the slaughter taking place on the other side of the bridge.
