The Auld Alliance
Connections between France and Scotland
Connections between France and Scotland
The Auld Alliance is the name given to the historic military and diplomatic alliance between France and Scotland. Now the phrase simply affectionately describes the historic bond between France and Scotland. In 1942, when Charles de Gaulle visited Scotland, he declared the relationship between France and Scotland to be the “oldest alliance in the entire world”.
It is true that France and Scotland have connections that go back centuries. We take a look at the history of the Auld Alliance and explore the influences on Scotland from the close links between the two nations. We’ll also tell you about some of the places in Scotland where you can visit sites that reflect the close historic relationship between Scotland and France.
The Auld Alliance dates back to 1295 when Scotland and France made a formal diplomatic and military alliance against England. They agreed that they would support each other in the event of English aggression. Over the years the alliance was formally renewed from time to time but eventually ended. Even after this, the two nations retained close links.
These bonds of friendship, collaboration and military alliance have played a significant role in shaping the stories of both nations. In addition to the military alliance, you can see the influence of the relationship between France and Scotland in areas like art, architecture, culture, cuisine, language and literature.
Many Scots settled in France after fighting with the French against the English. Intermarriage between Scottish and French royalty and nobility saw further exchanges of citizens over the years. Around 45,000 people in France today have Scottish ancestry. Famous French people with Scottish ancestry include Jules Verne and Charles de Gaulle!
The origins of the Auld Alliance can be traced back to the turbulent 13th century. In 1295, King John Balliol of Scotland and King Philip IV of France joined forces against King Edward I of England. This defensive alliance, formalised in Treaty of Paris, marked the birth of the Auld Alliance. It aimed to protect both nations from the territorial ambitions of the English Crown. However, it did not prevent Edward I from successfully invading Scotland just a year later, in 1296. The following years saw a series of battles between England and Scotland until, under the leadership of Robert the Bruce, Scotland eventually regained its independence. In 1328 England recognised him as King of an independent Scotland.
Scotland and France’s alliance gained strength during the Hundred Years’ War, a long and bitter conflict between England and France. Scotland and France actively supported each other, sending troops and resources to bolster each power’s war effort. France also provided a place of sanctuary for David II of Scotland, his family and court when they were in exile.
During this period French and Scottish forces coordinated their attacks on England. They fought side by side in famous battles like Poitiers in 1356 and the Battle of Bauge in 1421. In 1418 Charles VII of France formed Les Gardes Écossaises to act as an elite force of personal bodyguards for the French monarchy. In 1429, Scottish soldiers fought on behalf of Joan of Arc.
Many of the soldiers from the Scottish expeditions to France decided to stay there and some officers were given lands and titles in France. During the 15th and 16th centuries, these settlers officially became French subjects. The alliance was renewed four times throughout the rest of the 15th century until France eventually emerged victorious in the Hundred Years’ War at the Battle of Castillon in 1453.
After the Hundred Years War, the immediate threat from England diminished as it was fighting its own internal war – the War of the Roses. Scotland and France exploited England’s weakness during this period, mutually supporting successive raids to reclaim lost territory. In 1461 Margaret of Anjou secured the agreement of both Scotland and France to support the Lancastrian cause in the War of the Roses in return for the return of Berwick & Jersey. In spite of their support, the Yorkists eventually triumphed.
This tumultuous period in English history finally ended when Henry Tudor (of Lancastrian descent), with support from both France and Scotland, returned from exile in France to defeat Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485. He became Henry VII. Subsequently, he married Elizabeth of York, thus ending the Wars of the Roses. To ensure peace with Scotland and France, Henry VII arranged marriages between his daughters to the Scottish and French kings. James VI of Scotland and I of England , the son of Mary Queen of Scots, who united Scotland and England under one crown in 1603, was descended from this bloodline.
However before this took place, there was briefly a joint monarchy ruling France and Scotland. Mary, daughter of James V, and mother of James I and VI (Mary, Queen of Scots) was exiled to France for her own safety as a child and grew up there. She became betrothed to Francis, the Dauphin of France in 1548. In 1558, she married him. When he became king as Francis II in 1559, they briefly reigned as ‘King and Queen of France and Scotland’ before his early death. During this period the Franco-Scottish alliance reached its peak. French and Scottish citizens acquired the same rights as each other – effectively becoming dual citizens. The right of Scottish people to French citizenship was only eventually revoked by France at the turn of the 20th century.
The ultimate blow to the Auld Alliance came in 1560 when the Scottish Reformation led to the rejection of Catholicism and, consequently, the political alliance with France. In 1560 the Treaty of Edinburgh marked the official end of the alliance, and Scotland moved toward closer ties with England.
However, during the English Civil War, royalist Stuarts and other Catholic nobles took refuge at the French Court. Intermarriage between the Scots and French royal and noble families continued. The strong family ties between the Stuarts and other powerful Scottish families kept an informal alliance alive.
It was not just within the nobility that there were family connections between the Scottish and the French. Successive generations settled in each other’s countries as a result of trade, staying after military campaigns. Or moved because they were members of the households of French nobility in Scotland or Scottish nobility in France. In Edinburgh, there is a part of town called Little France because it was where many of Mary Queen of Scots ladies and servants lived. After centuries of intermarriage and travel between the two countries, people in all strata of Scottish society had French family connections.
The Auld Alliance, which began as a response to the threat of English domination, evolved into a series of connections over and above military collaboration. This relationship has left an indelible impact on the histories and cultures of both Scotland and France, from language and art to cuisine and diplomacy. Modern diplomatic relations between France and Scotland remain friendly. The strong historical connections between the two countries have paved the way for collaboration in various fields over the centuries, including politics, trade and culture.
France and Scotland enjoyed a strong commercial relationship over several centuries. From the mediaeval period to the early modern era, Scotland and France’s alliance facilitated extensive trade and commerce. During the Middle Ages, Scottish merchants established strong trading networks with French counterparts. They exported wool, hides, and fish, while importing wine, textiles, and luxury goods from France. The Auld Alliance, which solidified diplomatic and economic cooperation between the two countries, also fostered trade through preferential treatment and tariff exemptions for each other’s merchants.
The 16th century saw an expansion in their economic ties, with the French wine trade expanding in Scotland. Bordeaux wines, in particular, were highly sought after in Scottish markets, leading to the establishment of a flourishing wine import industry. Trade flourished between the two countries, even though France was Catholic and Scotland was Protestant. Scottish merchants paid less or no customs at some French ports, whereas some ports would not trade with the English at all. Scottish exports to France included fish, coal, wool and animal skins. France in return exported salt, wine, luxury cloth, gloves, musical instruments, furniture, beds and spectacles.
Despite some difficulties for Protestant Scots in France, there were well established communities in Bordeaux, Paris and La Rochelle throughout the seventeenth century. Even during the eighteenth century – after the Act of Union was signed – Scotland and France continued to have an active and close trading relationship.
The French Revolution had a profound influence on Scottish politics – as it did elsewhere in the world. Partly inspired by the American Revolution, reform movements began to grow up in Scotland from the mid-1780s. The French Revolution rapidly accelerated the growth of popular radical societies, that aimed to reform the political system and address other issues such as the slave trade and religious reform. By the end of 1792, Scotland had between 80 and 100 of these societies.
Inspired by the ideas of Thomas Paine, whose Rights of Man (1791) circulated widely, radicals explored and developed a wide range of political strategies such as protests and the use of the press. A radical newspaper, the Edinburgh Gazetteer publicised the activities and resolutions of radical societies, especially those of the series of radical conventions, held in Edinburgh between 1792 and 1794. Many of these societies began sending financial support to revolutionary France.
The last and most controversial convention was a ‘British Convention’ in the winter of 1793-1794 which was modelled on the radical French National Convention. For example, it dated its minutes from ‘The First Year of the British Convention’ imitating the French revolutionaries’ abolition of the calendar. Similarly, members addressed one another as ‘Citizen. Worried about the imitation of French radical politics, the convention was shut down by the authorities and its leaders were transported.
The alliance had an influence on the linguistic and philosophical traditions of both nations. French became a language of the Scottish Court and many Scots settled in France.
It was common for eminent Scottish families to send their sons to France rather than England for their education. Any aiming for a life in the church were educated in France. Returning home to Scotland after their education, they brought with them traditions and culture they had experienced in France. You can see traces of the shared history between the two countries in some of the language in use in Scotland today
The word Hogmanay came into use following Mary Queen of Scots’ return to Scotland from France in 1561. No one really knows its origins for sure, but it may come from the French word ‘hoginane’ meaning “gala day”. In Normandy, presents given at Hogmanay were ‘hoguignetes’.
Bonnie – meaning nice or pretty from the French bon/bonne (good)
An ashet in Scotland is a large flat serving plate, from the French assiette meaning a plate
Tassie/tasse both mean a cup
Jigot or gigot is a leg of meat usually of mutton or lamb in both countries.
The word caddie has its origins in the French word cadet which in late mediaeval French meant a young lad.
Tartan derives from the French word tertaine for a type of cloth (rather than the pattern).
Douce in Scotland means mild-mannered or sweet-tempered, whereas in France it means soft, mild or gentle.
The name Beauly comes from the French, beau lieu, meaning ‘beautiful place’. It’s thought that this is because Mary Queen of Scots once visited and said ‘c’est un beau lieu’ – it’s a beautiful place!
The influence of Scotland on French intellectual thought is exemplified by the profound impact of Scottish Enlightenment philosophers, such as David Hume and Adam Smith during the 18th century. Their groundbreaking works on philosophy, economics, and social theory contributed to the development of French Enlightenment thinking and influenced key figures of the French Enlightenment, including Voltaire and Montesquieu. Concepts such as social contract theory and empiricism, championed by Scottish philosophers, left an indelible mark on the evolution of French philosophical discourse and literature.
The Scottish Renaissance of the 18th and 19th centuries witnessed a surge of interest in French literature, particularly the works of Enlightenment philosophers and writers such as Rousseau, Voltaire, and Montaigne. The translation and adaptation of French literary works into Scottish vernacular languages not only enriched Scottish literary expression, but also contributed to the development of Scottish national identity and cultural consciousness.
In the 16th century, the main structure of the Scottish Country Dances that survive today was influenced by the “contredanses” of the French Court. Scottish country dances were not folk dances, but dances of the nobility. They were brought to Scotland by the returning Mary Stuart, Queen of France and Scotland. French terminology is used for many of the figures in Scottish country dancing even today, such as allemande, poussette, promenade and rondel.
Later in the 18th century, Edinburgh rose in status, and formal balls and assemblies at which Country Dances were performed, became part of its cultural life. Similarly, formal dance styles developing in the French Court were based on Scottish and English Country Dances. In both England and Scotland people believed that the French forms expressed the highest arts. The dancing masters of the time inevitably were trained in French dance techniques that we now associate with ballet.
The origin of the Quadrille, which took over from Country Dances at society balls in Britain during the 19th century, was the French form – the Contredanse or Cotillon. This is also considered to be the origin of the ’round the room’ type dances found at Ceilidhs and Barn dances.
The Scottish-French alliance further facilitated the exchange of cultural influences, with the Court using French artisans to work on their great houses and subsequently a tradition of importing French artistic and architectural styles into Scotland.
French craftsmen and carvers came to be part of James V’s court when he married Marie de Guise. James made improvements to Falkland Palace in Fife between 1537-41. He employed two French master masons, Moses Martin and Nicholas Roy to oversee the work, and they employed French artisans to carry it out.
He also commissioned the famous ‘Stirling Heads’, 16th century oak medallions carved in the Renaissance style with images of kings, queens, nobles and characters from the Bible and classical mythology. Originally installed on the ceilings in James’s Palace, they were, in part, the work of Andre Mansioun. He was a fashionable French artist who was in demand across Scotland. His work allowed the rich and powerful to show off their refined Continental taste. When James died in 1542 Mansioun carved a lion for his tomb.
The trend for French craftsmanship set by the Royal family was followed by the others in the court who also employed French craftsmen. Moses Martin and Nicholas Roy, the masons who worked on Falkland Palace, also worked on St Mary’s College.
In the seventeenth century, it was fashionable for wealthy families to import French furniture. The appreciation for French craftsmanship in Scotland continued throughout the centuries and French craftsmen continued to work in Scotland or send commissioned works there.
The French influence continued in the following centuries, notably in the form of Renaissance-inspired buildings and gardens. French architectural styles and motifs found their way into many famous Scottish buildings.
Several renowned buildings in Scotland bear the unmistakable influence of French architecture. One striking illustration of French architectural influence is the iconic Dunmore Pineapple, a unique folly located in Falkirk. Constructed in the 18th century, the building is renowned for its distinctive French-inspired design, which combines elements of the Baroque and Rococo styles. The structure’s elaborate stone facade and intricate detailing reflect the ornate and whimsical characteristics often associated with French architecture of the period.
Another famous example is Gosford House in East Lothian, built in the late 18th century. Designed by renowned Scottish architect Robert Adam, the structure exhibits a blend of neoclassical and French architectural elements. Examples include the use of grand columns, ornate detailing, and a symmetrical layout, reminiscent of the French château style.
Inveraray Castle in Argyll and Bute, built in the 18th century, showcases a blend of Scottish and French architectural influences. The castle’s design, featuring high towers, ornate turrets, and decorative stonework, is similar to the French château architectural style. This reflects the prevailing fashion of the time.
Dunrobin Castle is another clear example of the influence of French châteaux on the design of Scotland’s great houses.
Today, there are 320,000 visitors to Scotland from France each year. The French are the third highest nationality to visit Scotland each year. For those intrigued by the Auld Alliance, there are numerous historical sites in Scotland that provide a vivid glimpse into the historic connections between Scotland and France.
Stirling Castle, a symbol of Scottish power and prestige, played a crucial role during the wars against England. The castle was home to many Scottish monarchs who had close ties with France such as James V and Mary, Queen of Scots. Sculptures at ‘Stirling reflect a knowledge of Renaissance art and literature not previously seen in Scotland. Outside the Palace, there are various sculptures including ones of Archangel Michael, the patron saint of France. There are also two sculptures of Venus, cherubs’ heads, and a griffin to name just a few. The Renaissance influence can be seen in the carvings of the Stirling Heads, now housed in a separate exhibition.
Myths and stories surround the intricate carvings of the Rosslyn Chapel, including links to the Knights Templar and Freemasonry. However, there is also a French connection. The chapel was built by the Sinclair family who first came to the United Kingdom from Normandy in 1066, along with William the Conqueror. One of William Sinclair’s ancestors was Sir Rollo, a Viking who settled in Normandy and became its first duke. The Gothic style of architecture began in this area, under the leadership of the Normans, It can be seen prominently in Paris’ Notre Dame Cathedral, as well as at Rosslyn Chapel.
Many of the carvings at Rosslyn Chapel are similar to those in nearby Melrose Abbey, which was built about a hundred years before Rosslyn. Melrose Abbey was overseen by the French mason John Morrow. Its architectural style and carvings share features with structures being built at the same time in France. It is possible that the builders of Rosslyn Chapel imitated the style of Melrose Abbey in recognition of the French descent of the Sinclair family.
The Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh was the residence of Mary, Queen of Scots, during her time in Scotland. French influences are evident in its architecture and design, reflecting the strong bonds between the two nations during that era.
The Battle of Bannockburn in 1314, where the Scottish army led by Robert the Bruce defeated the English, is another significant event linked to the Auld Alliance. Visitors can explore the Bannockburn Heritage Centre to learn more about this epic confrontation.
The Mary Queen of Scots Visitor Centre in Jedburgh is dedicated to the life and times of the famous Queen. The centre showcases her connections with France and provides an in-depth look at this fascinating period in history.
Dundrennan Abbey, located in Kirkcudbrightshire, south west Scotland, is where Mary, Queen of Scots, spent her last night in Scotland before departing for France. The abbey’s serene ruins offer a glimpse into the Queen’s poignant farewell to her homeland.
Arbroath Abbey, founded in 1178, is notable for its historic ties to the Auld Alliance. It was the site where the Declaration of Arbroath, a letter to the Pope affirming Scotland’s independence, was drafted in 1320.
St. Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh features the Thistle Chapel, which has intricate carvings and decorations, including the Scottish and French royal coats of arms. This serves as a reminder of the enduring influence of the Auld Alliance.
The Auld Alliance Trophy, a distinguished honor at the Six Nations, was first presented in 2018. The trophy is as a poignant tribute to the memory of the fallen rugby players from both nations in the aftermath of World War I.
Co-located with the French consulate on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, the institute promotes French culture in Scotland and offers French language lessons and other cultural events. There is also a media library where you can borrow French language media, books and resources or read French newspapers and magazines.
Scotland
We hope you enjoyed our exploration of the connections between France and Scotland. If you are looking for a campervan to hire to explore some of the places we have highlighted, please take a look at our VWs. All our campervans for hire come fully equipped with everything you will need for your road trip in Scotland. Everything is included in the price, including extra sets of bedding if requested.
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