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The Battle of Sark, alternatively called the Battle of Lochmaben Stone, was fought between England and Scotland in October 1448. Henry Percy, 2nd Earl of Northumberland invaded Scotland with a force reported to be around 6,000 men. He set up camp near what is now Gretna in Dumfries and Galloway, sending out scouts and raiding parties into the surrounding area.

Northumberland’s army soon faced a Scottish force of 4,000 men led by Hugh Douglas, Earl of Ormonde, and Sir John Wallace of Craigie Castle. The English formed their battle lines and began cutting down the Scots with longbow fire, until Sir John led a bold charge. The attack broke the English right flank, and the rest of Northumberland’s troops fled, only to be trapped between three nearby waterways – the Esk, the Sark, and the Kirtle Water. Surrounded on three sides, the English struggled to retreat, and many reportedly drowned in the Esk while trying to escape.