Duke unveils battle story

THE Duke of Somerset is travelling to the Lothians to help commemorate Scotland’s largely forgotten Battle of Pinkie Cleugh.

The battle between the Scots and English at Pinkie in Musselburgh, which took place in 1547, is thought to be among the bloodiest to have taken place on Scottish soil. It saw the 1st Duke of Somerset command English armies as they inflicted a devastating defeat on the Scots, led by the Earl of Arran.

John Seymour, 19th Duke of Somerset, is visiting Pinkie next Monday to launch a new book about the battle by Arran Johnston called Blood Stain’d Fields – the Battles of East Lothian.