The Skirmish of the High Street, 1520

Cleanse the Causeway, also known as the Skirmish of the High Street, was a confrontation between two rival Scottish noble families, the House of Hamilton and the House of Douglas, that took place in Edinburgh in 1520. The two families were locked in a struggle for supremacy and were vying for control over the young King James V and the regency of Scotland. At the time, Scotland was being governed by a council of nobles and clergy in the absence of the Duke of Albany, the regent. The Earl of Arran, chief of Clan Hamilton, and the Earl of Angus, chief of Clan Douglas, were both members of this council.

Tensions between the two families had been rising for some time due to a number of factors, including a dispute over Scottish estates and a diplomatic incident involving the murder of a French nobleman. The Earl of Arran was determined to stop his rival, the Earl of Angus, from gaining control over King James V and sought to secure the regency for himself as the closest blood relative of the late King James IV. In addition, Arran had lost the support of the Edinburgh burgesses due to a disputed sale of a cargo of timber from a Dutch ship in Leith, and the burgesses instead supported Angus during the skirmish.

The skirmish itself was sparked when Arran attempted to arrest Angus, and the two sides faced off in the High Street of Edinburgh, each with around 500 armed followers. A stand-off ensued, with both sides unwilling to be the one to instigate violence. However, the confrontation ultimately ended peacefully, with the two sides agreeing to a temporary ceasefire.

Despite the peaceful resolution of the Skirmish of the High Street, it was a significant event in the history of Scotland and serves as a reminder of the power struggles and political rivalries that were prevalent during this time period. It also highlights the importance of diplomacy and the ability to find peaceful solutions to conflicts, as the confrontation could have easily escalated into a full-blown battle had the two sides not been able to come to an agreement. Overall, Cleanse the Causeway was a significant event in the history of Scotland and serves as a testament to the complex political landscape of the time.