William Wallace in Robroyston: Scottish independence warrior’s links in and around Glasgow

How much time did William Wallace spend in Glasgow? We will try to answer this questions today.

William Wallace spent a lot of time in and around Glasgow - a lot more than you might expect - before he was executed on this day in 1305 for his part in the First War of Scottish Independence.

Glasgow very nearly had it’s own towering Wallace monument, one that could rival the monolithic tribute at Stirling. In 1819 an architect called William Reid designed a ‘Triumphal Arch’ which was set to be erected along the banks of the Clyde at the foot of Stockwell Street. It would have included a statue similar to the Duke of Wellington statue at GOMA with Wallace atop a horse. The project never came to fruition.

Of course the story of the Scottish leader, renowned worldwide, has been told so many times that many of the facts have become muddled in mythmaking - and of course, history is written by the victors.

We can however confirm places he went, battles he fought, and some of the high-profile friends and enemies he made. Along the way, a lot of the William Wallace story was influenced by Glasgow. Of course back then Glasgow was a very different place: it was pretty much just a castle, some old streets, and a cathedral - so William wasn’t getting the ales in at The Scotia in between battles, as epic as that would be. He did manage to get huckled in Robroyston though.

Take a look below to peruse some of the known, and rumoured, connections that William Wallace had to Glasgow and the surrounding area.