James V and the Tullibody thieves

JAMES V was known as the Gudeman of Ballengeich and would occasionally dress as a beggar before wandering around Stirling and its environs unnoticed.

At the time there were numerous bands of robbers in Clackmannanshire, and when they were chased, would ride their horses at full speed to a wood at Tullibody, where they managed to lose their pursuers.

One day, the king decided to try and find the robbers. He put on a patchwork cloak with meal pockets, and while wandering through the woods around sunset, he encountered the thieves.

They grabbed the king and dragged him into a large underground cavern at a grassy knoll.

Its entrance had been covered with brambles and bushes, was large enough to accommodate them and their horses, and was lit with lamps and torches.

They kept James prisoner for several days. He was ordered to serve them hand and foot and take care of their horses. He slept on straw, using his cloak as a blanket.

Some gang members suspected he was a spy for the king, and when drunk, would draw their swords. When this happened, their leader always stepped in.

Finally, one day, the king was sent to a spring to collect water. He knew it would be dangerous to try and run away.

While out, he spotted a beggar woman and quickly wrote to the commandant of Stirling Castle, telling him to send men and horses to the particular part of Tullibody wood where he was being held.

He asked her to take it to the governor of the castle, and to present a token he had given to her to the sentinels. He told her she would be handsomely rewarded.

He returned to the cavern with the water where the robbers were waiting, with some even more determined to kill him. Again, their leader stepped in.

Soon, the sound of horses approaching was heard. The captain drew his sword, ready to kill his prisoner. James removed his cloak, drew a dagger, and exclaimed: ‘I am your king, and you are all my prisoners.’

Being strong, and well skilled in fencing, he flicked the sword out of the captain’s hand, threw him on his back, and with one foot on his chest, held the dagger at his throat.

The gang stood round astonished then attacked, but the king defended himself until the guards rushed in. They were all taken prisoner and escorted to Stirling Castle.

The captain turned out to be the laird of the land and was made captain of the king’s guard.