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Today is a significant day in the history of this proud and ancient land. 700 years ago, Sir William Wallace was executed for treason by Edward I of England. Long before he was discovered and his story made into romanticised fictional nonsense by Mel Gibson, William Wallace was known to generations of Scottish schoolchildren as one of Scotland's greatest heroes. We were taught about the Wars of Independence that followed the death of King Alexander III and of his grand-daughter and heir presumptive, Margaret, 'Maid of Norway'. Unable to agree on a successor, Edward 'Longshanks' Plantagenet, King of England (and Alexander's brother-in-law), was invited to decide. Longshanks chose John 'Toom Tabard' Balliol (Toom Tabard, or 'empty coat', was a term of abuse). A number of events over the ensuing years of English overlordship engendered a desire to be rid of them. Edward's continual humiliation of King John and the demand that all Scottish landowners (including King John) travel to Berwick-upon-Tweed to sign the Ragman's Roll - an oath of loyalty and allegiance to the English throne - are believed to have been the catalysts leading to revolt. In Lanarkshire and Ayrshire, William Wallace led a band of armed men opposed to English rule. His initial successes against English garrisons brought him to the attention of the nobles, who had their own reasons for wanting rid of the English. Wallace, the non-aristocratic son of a small landowner, used his military and diplomatic skills to prevent the two main competing noble families - the Bruces and the Comyns - from fighting each other. Wallace fought in the name of John Balliol, and accepted the Guardianship of the Realm after Balliol had fled into exile. In an attempt to make the Bruces and Comyns join together, Wallace famously resigned the Guardianship and broke the Royal Seal in two, giving one half to Robert the Bruce, and the other to John 'Red' Comyn. Following this, Wallace returned to his guerilla warfare with his small band of trusted men. He was finally betrayed by one of the noble families and taken to London, where he was tried and executed for treason. Within a year of his death, King Robert the Bruce raised the banner against Edward in the Second War of Independence, which was finally ended with the Scots' victory over a much larger English army at Bannockburn, near Stirling, in 1314. Liam, on the other hand, was just running through a field.

Last year this scary man came calling :O