Consequences Unforeseen

Dunnottar Castle - May 1297

Dunnottar Castle - May 1297

It was a cold day in hell …

The cold steel against his neck brought the guard instantly awake. His gaze took in the blackened face and dark eyes freezing him forever in the moment. This moment that would be the final moment of his life.

Strange as it may seem, that moment seemed like an eternity to him and he mused on who in God’s name this Vision from Hell was, and more, how had he appeared from nowhere in HIS gatehouse high atop the most fearsome cliff he had ever perched upon. No life flashing before his eyes or thoughts of family. Just this incredible desire to know how this trickery had been accomplished

William Douglas drove the dagger upwards into the man’s brain twisting it at the last moment to make it easier to withdraw. “That’ll answer aw yer questions” he thought to himself, as if he had known the last fleeting thoughts of his victim.

The gate house guard had been dosing, but his sidekick was passed out in a drunken stupor on the cot in the back corner of the cavern. One of Douglas’s men threw a bucket of water over him and dragged him to his knees before his leader.

“William, William are ye ther’? William, William are ye ther’?” The voice came from far below the gatehouse, but Sir William Douglas knew the brogue and its owner automatically without needing to move his attention away from the Englishman on his knees at his feet. It was also unnecessary to reply for it was a rhetorical question. Of course he was there!!

He looked down at the English soldier and whispered “Ah’m keepin ye alive tae witness this night’s events fur yersel, an Ye’ll be let go free soon enough. Ye’ll be given a horse and set lose te carry the news of my appearance and yer demise tae Longshanks and yer middens. Thank yer God fur ye’ll be the only wan tae survive this night.”

This said, Sir William gave a nod and his men released the great chains holding he drawbridge in place, and raised the metal framed gate itself up into the cliff face above.

“Tie this bastard to the gate post” he ordered ‘An let’s be gone afore aw Hell let’s lose.”

With that Sir William Douglas the Hardy and his men vanished into the night the way they had come and left nothing but the ghostly impression that they had been there at all.

When William Wallace entered the Castle some 10 minutes later he was astonished to see only one Englishman in his way – and that that man was shackled to the gate with a note around his neck. The note read -

“Let this bastard go free. Give him a swift horse an he’ll be our legend in the makin’

It had no signature, but Wallace knew the author and would take the advice.

Wallace shook his head though and thought to himself, “Where in God’s Kingdom does this Douglas reside that gives him the ability to come and go as if he were a ghost?”

From that moment all Hell did indeed break lose. The English Garrison asleep to the man woman and child were dragged from their beds. Women and children were herded to the front gates and driven out into the countryside to fend for themselves.

For the Men at Arms however their fate had been sealed in the Scottish borders where mass genocide had been perpetrated on Scottish families this last year by the armies of Edward Longshanks.

They were herded, dragged and driven into the Church where the doors were locked the roof and walls drenched in pitch and the entire structure set alight and raised to the ground.

News of this massacre was swift in its journey to London and beyond. The mystery surrounding the “opening of the gate” caused rumour of witchcraft and sorcery and the reputation of the Douglas clan as assassins spread in the ranks of the English forces.

“Ah’ll be seein’ ye again William Wallace” thought William Douglas as his boat took him and his master masons down the East Coast to Edinburgh. “We’ll overnight in Roslyn Glen” he told his men. Douglasdale would see them home in a couple of days more.

The men were elated, but tired and looking forward to some peaceful time at home in Lanarkshire, if such a thing could be possible. Three full months had passed since they began their work of magic on Dunnottar Castle and the subsequent victory there. Unbeknown to them their stronghold Douglas Castle had fallen to none other than Robert the Bruce from Carlisle

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