On July 19 Edward, leaving a sufficient portion of his army to maintain the blockade of Berwick, took up a position with the remainder on Halidon Hill, a short distance to the west of the town.  The lessons of Bannockburn, Boroughbridge, and Dupplin were not forgotten, and the English host was arranged much after the fashion which had procured the first victory of the disinherited.  Knights and men-at-arms sent their horses to the rear and, from the king downwards, all, save a small reserve of horse, prepared to fight on foot.  Edward divided his forces into three lines or “battles,” each of which consisted of a central column of dismounted heavily armed troops, flanked by a right and a left wing of archers in open order, John of Eltham and the titular Earl of Buchan commanded the right battle, the king the centre, and Edward Balliol the left.  The Scots still employed the traditional tactics which had failed so signally at Dupplin.  Sir Archibald Douglas led his followers up the slopes of the hill in three dense columns.  But a pitiless rain of arrows spread havoc among their ranks, and there were no answering volleys to disturb their foes.  The battle was won for the English almost before the two lines had joined in close combat.  It was only on Edward’s right that the Scots were strong enough to push home their attack.  On the centre and left, the English easily drove the enemy in panic flight down the slopes which they had ascended so confidently.  The pursuit was long and bloody; few were taken prisoners, but many were slain or driven into the sea.  Seven Scottish earls were believed by the English to have fallen, while the victors lost one knight, one squire, and a few infantry soldiers.  Thus, for a second time the tactics, which had served the Scots so well in the defensive fight of Bannockburn, failed in offence to secure victory for them.  The experience of this day completed the evolution of the new English battle array of men-at-arms fighting on foot and supported by wings of archers, which was soon to excite the wonder of Europe, when its possibilities were demonstrated on continental fields.

Next day Berwick opened its gates, and was handed over to the English, according to the treaty of Roxburgh, to be for the rest of its history an English frontier town.  Edward Balliol again conquered Scotland as easily as he had done on the former occasion, and far more effectually.  It was no longer possible for the few remaining champions of the house of Bruce to safeguard the person of the little king and queen.  David and Joan were accordingly sent off to France, where they were to grow up as good friends of King Philip.  But Balliol had so clearly regained his throne through English help that he was no longer an independent agent.  No sooner was his conquest assured than he was forced not only to confirm the surrender of Berwick, but to yield up the whole of south-eastern Scotland as the price of the English assistance.  The depth of his humiliation was