Atlas of Battles

battle, notable, early modern

Battle of Pinkie

Battle of Pinkie was a battle fought on 10 September 1547 at Musselburgh, in what is now United Kingdom. It was part of the Anglo-Scottish Wars. The recorded result: English victory. Recorded strength: 22,000–36,000 against 30 warships, 16,800 men.

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William Grey charges with the English cavalry in the early stages of the Battle of Pinkie Cleugh.
William Grey charges with the English cavalry in the early stages of the Battle of Pinkie Cleugh.. R. S. Marriotts (engraver), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Fought10 September 1547
WhereMusselburgh, United Kingdom55.935N, 3.030W
OutcomeEnglish victory
BelligerentsKingdom of ScotlandagainstKingdom of England
Casualties and losses6,000–15,000 killed or wounded, 2,000 capturedand200–600 killed or wounded
Battlefield todayBattle of Pinkie battlefieldHistoric Environment Scotland entry BTL15, 1,775 ha
Part ofAnglo-Scottish Wars

Where it sits in the Anglo-Scottish Wars

Battle of Nesbit Moor, 1355Battle of Duns, 1372Battle of Otterburn, 1388Battle of Nesbit Moor, 1402Battle of Homildon Hill, 1402Battle of Yeavering, 1415Battle of Piperdean, 1436Battle of Sark, 1448Capture of Berwick, 1482Battle of the Firth of Forth, 1489Battle of Haddon Rig, 1542Battle of Solway Moss, 1542Battle of Ancrum Moor, 1545Battle of Pinkie, 1547Siege of Haddington, 1548Battle of Drumlanrig, 1548Raid of the Redeswire, 157513551575Battle of Pinkie, 1547
17 placed engagements of the Anglo-Scottish Wars in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date10 September 1547
PlaceMusselburgh, United Kingdom
55.935N, 3.030W
KindBattle, early modern
Strength22,000–36,00030 warships, 16,800 men
Casualties and losses6,000–15,000 killed or wounded, 2,000 captured200–600 killed or wounded
Commanders
  • Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset
Battle of PinkieBattle of PinkieBattle of PrestonpansBattle of Prestonpans5 km55.935N, 3.030W
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. The dashed outline is the registered battlefield area (Historic Environment Scotland). Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

Nearest engagements

In the same war

Elsewhere in 1547

Historic Environment Scotland registers this as the Battle of Pinkie battlefield (entry BTL15), 1,775 hectares, under the Open Government Licence.

Battle of Pinkie is one of 1,390 engagements of the 16th century in the atlas and one of 695 in present-day United Kingdom.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q2368123, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Battle of Pinkie, revision 1383145881, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Battlefield boundary and area from Historic Environment Scotland (Open Government Licence). Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.