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Photograph by Gordon Terris
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A PAINTING of a "forgotten" Scottish hero who fought alongside William
Wallace and Robert the Bruce was unveiled today at a Lothians stately
home.
The Black Douglas was commissioned
by Lord Selkirk of Douglas, who
was determined to see his ancestor's place in history remembered.
It was painted by Corries singer Ronnie Browne, best known for the
unofficial Scottish anthem Flower of Scotland but also a talented
artist.
The work was unveiled at Lennoxlove House, East Lothian, this morning
by the Duke and Duchess of Hamilton, together with the Marquis of
Douglas and Clydesdale and Lord Selkirk.
While the Scots warrior - real name James Douglas - has been
overshadowed by his more famous contemporaries at home, he is still
revered hundreds of miles away in southern Spain.
In Teba, where he died in battle fighting the Moorish invader
Mohammed IV, he is remembered in annual celebrations even 700 years
after his death.
Lord Selkirk said: "I was particularly struck last year, when a
delegation from Teba arrived in Scotland to present me with a photograph
of the memorial to Black Douglas at Castle of the Stars where he fought
his last courageous battle to help the Spanish king repel the Moorish
army.
"If Black Douglas was remembered in Spain, why not here? Here was a
soldier who perfected tactical warfare and won more victories over the
English than any other leader, more often than not against armies far
larger than this own. He was a man feared and revered in his time.
"As his indirect descendants it was important to us that there was
some celebration of his life within the Hamilton Collection at
Lennoxlove House.
The painting shows a battle at Douglas Castle and the beheading of
soldiers, a frequent tactic of the Black Douglas to warn off other
attackers.
The painting also features the Castle of the Stars in Teba, and the
casket containing King Robert the Bruce's heart - which the Black
Douglas carried with him to Spain.
Artist Ronnie Browne said: "I was honoured to paint such a key
character in Scottish history. The painting illustrates the significant
features of the Black Douglas and his life on the battlefield.
"It was a challenge to paint a portrait based around historical
description as there are no surviving images of the Black Douglas.
"I was given excellent information which allowed me to recreate
significant events in the life of the Black Douglas.
"History is such a key subject in Scottish culture and it is
important that we recognise the impact the Black Douglas made on
Scottish history."
Bruce's heart was incorporated into the Douglas coat of arms and
subsequently in the 17th century, when the Douglas and Hamilton families
joined through marriage, it also became part of the Hamilton crest and
still appears there today.
The Black Douglas can be viewed by the public in the Great Hall at
Lennoxlove House on Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoons.
Forgotten hero
A master swordsman, formidable soldier and supreme tactician, the
Black Douglas was instrumental in the fight against the English in the
14th century.
He was a specialist in fighting under cover of darkness, won more
victories over the English than any other Scottish leader, and commanded
a quarter of the Scots army at Bannockburn.
In 1314, he and his men attacked Roxburgh Castle at night disguised
as cows, and recorded the first use of rope ladders with hooks on the
end to scale the walls. His often ruthless deeds on the battlefield -
including beheading enemy soldiers to warn off other attackers - struck
fear into the hearts of the English. Mothers would warn their children
to behave or the Black Douglas would get them.
To the Scots however, he was the Good Lord James who, true to Robert
the Bruce's dying wish, carried his king's heart on crusade against the
"heathen Moor" in southern Spain. Knights from across Europe joined the
campaign, but Douglas died in battle at Teba.
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