On this day: Scots defeated the English at the Battle of Otterburn

On 5 August 1388, in a moonlit battle near Otterburn in Northumberland, a Scottish army under Sir James Douglas, 2nd Earl of Douglas, defeated an English force led by Sir Henry (Hotspur) Percy. The English troops withdrew in good order from the field and captured over 200 Scots who were pursuing them. In 1388, the Scots aimed to exploit the unstable political climate in England, where King Richard II faced challenges from the influential baronial families and the looming threat of invasion from France. During the summer of 1388, the Scots initiated a three-pronged offensive against the English, targeting Ireland, the West March, and the East March. The Earl of Douglas led the attack on the East March, which culminated at Otterburn.